editor in chief

American

noun

plural

editors in chief

the policy-making executive or principal editor of a publishing house, publication, etc.

editor in chief British

noun

the controlling editor of a publication

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of editor in chief

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Politico named Executive Vice President Jonathan Greenberger as its new editor in chief, effective in May.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Bari Weiss, the right-leaning opinion journalist who is now CBS News’ editor in chief, bragged last week that the network was “on quite a roll” in an X thread that cited Jiang’s Trump interview.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2026

Doherty began working at Reason in 1994, according to the publication’s obituary, left the company and returned in 2000 at the behest of Nick Gillespie, then editor in chief.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Barron’s Senior Managing Editor Lauren R. Rublin speaks with Ben Levisohn, Barron’s new editor in chief, about stocks and sectors in the news, and where to find bargains now.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

Mr. Larson was asking her to make the decision—Cara Landry, the editor in chief.

From "The Landry News" by Andrew Clements

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023