The plural of chief can puzzle anyone when someone may have to refer to multiple leaders. This is because the term “chief” can take on different forms, and knowing the right pluralization can make all the difference in your conversations and writing .Plural forms of terms can be tricky in English, especially when it comes to irregular nouns. In this article, we’ll figure out why the plural of “chief,” is chiefs.
what is plural of chief ? is it chiefs or chieves ?
As a noun the term “chief” refers to multiple meanings that extend beyond its common association with leadership.
Mostly Chief refers to a leader or someone in charge, such as a chief of police or a chief executive officer.
Example : The chief editor of the magazine cancelled the final draft just before publication.
It also carries cultural and historical significance. For instance in some tribal communities a chief is not merely a title but it represents a role deeply rooted in tradition, carrying the responsibility of safeguarding the well-being of the tribe and its members.
Example : The tribal chief presided over the council meeting.
Moreover, the word “chief” can also be used to denote primacy in various contexts. For example, by using the terms “chief concern” or “chief objective,” we can highlight what matters most in a given situation.
Example :The chief objective of the chief scientist is to lead the research team in developing a new vaccine.
“Unlike traditional leaders, Sigma Chiefs thrive on independence and strategy.”
What is the singular and plural of chief ?
When you refer to one leader or person in charge ,just simply use the term “chief”.
The plural form of “chief” is “chiefs” and it is used to refer to multiple leaders .You simply add an -s to the singular form to get “chiefs.”
Example: The tribal chiefs gathered for the annual meeting.
Why the Plural of “Chief” is “Chiefs” not “Chieves”?
Some irregular nouns ending in -f or -fe that change to -ves(like wolf → wolves or thief → thieves),but “chief” follows the regular rule of simply adding -s because it comes from the Old French word chef, meaning “leader” or “head,” rather than following the traditional English pattern of -f to -ves changes.
Usage Examples
Singular: The fire chief coordinated the emergency response.
Plural: The chiefs of multiple departments attended the meeting.
what is Plural of Chief ?chiefs or chieves
Examples of Chief Singular and Its Plural in Sentences
Singular Form of chief Usage:
The tribal chief handled the situation very well.
The chief of police held a press conference about the investigation of a criminal case .
The fire chief coordinated the rescue operations during the wildfire.
The chief executive officer outlined the company’s future plans to discuss with colleagues.
The chief engineer inspected the bridge construction site and made a comprehensive report about project progress.
Plural Usage:
The tribal chiefs gathered to discuss important cultural matters.
“A requester looks to Chiefs for strategic advice and leadership.”
The police chiefs from different cities attended the security summit.
The fire chiefs collaborated to develop a new emergency response plan.
The company’s chiefs of different departments met to discuss expansion strategies.
The military chiefs planned the next phase of the operation.
Synonyms for the Word “Chief”
As a Leader or Head of a Group
Leader
Head
Boss
Director
Commander
Captain
Principal
Superior
Supervisor
Executive
As the Most Important or Primary
Main
Primary
Principal
Key
Foremost
Supreme
Major
Dominant
Essential
Prime
Origin of “Chief”
Origin of the Word “Chief”
The word “chief” originates from the Old French word “chef”, meaning “leader” or “head”. This, in turn, comes from the Latin word “caput”, which means “head”.Middle English (13th century) adopted as “chief”, referring to a leader, ruler, or person in charge.
Modern Usage:
Now “chief” as noun means as a leader or head of a group and is commonly used in various contexts, such as:
Tribal Chief (leader of a tribe)
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (head of a company)
Fire Chief (head of a fire department)
Chief Justice (head judge of a court)
Common Mistakes To Avoid
1: Using “chieves” instead of “chiefs”
It is a common mistake to add a “v” instead of an “f” when forming the plural of “chief,” resulting in “chieves,” which is not a correct plural form.
2: Using “chiefes” instead of “chiefs”
Some people make another mistake, that is to add an extra “e” to “chief” when forming the plural, resulting in “chiefes.” However, this should be avoided as it is not the correct plural form .
How to Avoid
To avoid these mistakes you just remember that unlike words like “thief → thieves” or “wolf → wolves”, the word “chief” comes from the Old French word “chef”, which does not follow the typical English -f to -ves pluralization rule. Instead, it follows the regular plural rule of simply adding -s → chiefs.
The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals
Rule
Singular
Plural
Example Sentences
1. Add “-s” to most nouns
Book
Books
I have many books in my library.
Car
Cars
The parking lot is full of cars.
2. Nouns ending in “-s,” “-x,” “-z,” “-ch,” or “-sh” → Add “-es”
Bus
Buses
The city added more buses to the route.
Box
Boxes
She stacked the boxes in the garage.
Watch
Watches
He owns several luxury watches.
3. Nouns ending in “-y” → Change “y” to “i” and add “-es” (if preceded by a consonant)
Baby
Babies
The babies were sleeping peacefully.
City
Cities
New York and Paris are famous cities.
If a vowel comes before “-y,” just add “-s”
Boy
Boys
The boys are playing soccer.
Toy
Toys
The store sells many toys.
4. Nouns ending in “-f” or “-fe” → Change to “-ves” (Some exceptions)
Wolf
Wolves
A pack of wolves was spotted in the forest.
Knife
Knives
The chef used sharp knives.
Exceptions: Simply add “-s”
Roof
Roofs
The houses have red roofs.
Chief
Chiefs
The tribal chiefs gathered for a meeting.
5. Nouns ending in “-o” → Add “-es” or “-s”
Potato
Potatoes
I bought some potatoes for dinner.
Tomato
Tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes are used in the salad.
Some take only “-s”
Piano
Pianos
The school has two pianos.
Photo
Photos
She took many photos on vacation.
6. Irregular Plurals (Completely Different Forms)
Child
Children
The children are playing outside.
Man
Men
The men are working in the field.
Woman
Women
The women attended the conference.
Mouse
Mice
The kitchen was infested with mice.
Tooth
Teeth
He has strong teeth.
7. Same Singular and Plural Forms
Sheep
Sheep
A flock of sheep grazed in the meadow.
Deer
Deer
We saw deer in the forest.
Fish
Fish (or “Fishes” in scientific use)
The aquarium has many fish.
8. Plurals of Compound Nouns (Pluralize the Important Word)
Brother-in-law
Brothers-in-law
My brothers-in-law are visiting.
Passerby
Passersby
The passersby watched the parade.
Attorney General
Attorneys General
The attorneys general discussed the legal issue.
Conclusion
The plural of chief is chiefs, neither its chives nor chiefes. The word “chief” comes from the Old French word “chef”, which does not follow the typical English -f to -ves pluralization rule. Instead, it follows the regular plural rule of simply adding -s → chiefs.
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