Chancellor

The word “Chancellor” means a senior government official, especially the head of government in countries like Germany or Austria, or a finance minister in the UK. In plain terms, a high-ranking official — most commonly a head of government or a top university officer, depending on the country.

Here is “Chancellor” used in a sentence: “The Chancellor announced new tax measures in the budget speech.”

“Chancellor” is a noun.

“Chancellor” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Chancellor” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a senior government official, especially the head of government in countries like Germany or Austria, or a finance minister in the UK.

In some countries, such as Germany and Austria, 'chancellor' is the title for the head of government, a role equivalent to a prime minister elsewhere. The two words name a similar position but belong to different national systems.

In the United Kingdom the Chancellor of the Exchequer is the government minister in charge of finance and the economy, similar to a finance minister or treasury secretary. This is a different role from the German or Austrian chancellor, who leads the whole government.

At many universities the chancellor is a largely ceremonial head, often a well-known public figure, while the vice-chancellor handles the day-to-day running of the institution. The exact duties vary between universities and countries.

'Chancellor' is capitalised when it forms part of a specific title before a name, as in a headline naming a particular chancellor, and in fixed titles like 'Chancellor of the Exchequer.' It is written in lowercase when used generally, as in 'the country elected a new chancellor.'