chief executive noun

The senior director of a business organization

chief justice see under justice

chief petty officer noun

A non-commissioned officer in the navy above petty officer in rank

chief technician noun

A non-commissioned officer in the RAF below flight sergeant in rank

chief of staff (military)

1. A senior staff officer
2. (with cap) the senior officer of each of the armed forces (in the USA of the army and air force)

in chief

1. Borne in the upper part of the shield (heraldry)
2. (of a tenure) held directly from the sovereign
3. Most importantly (-in-chief combining form denoting at the head, first in rank, as in commander-in-chief)

execute /ekˈsi-kūt/

1. To perform
2. To produce
3. To give effect to
4. To carry into effect
5. To make valid by signing (law)
6. To put to use or bring into action
7. To put to death by law
8. To carry out the instructions in (a compiled version of a program), to run (a program) (computing)

execūtable /eksˈi-kūt-ə-bl or ek-sekˈūt-ə-bl/ adjective

1. That can be executed
2. That can be run by a computer

An executable file or program

execūtancy /eg-zekˈ/ noun

Technique in music

execūtant /eg-zekˈ/ noun

1. Someone who executes or performs
2. A technically accomplished performer of music

Performing

execūter /eksˈ/ noun

execūˈtion noun

1. The act of, or skill in, executing or performing
2. Accomplishment
3. Completion
4. The infliction of capital punishment
5. The carrying into effect of the sentence of a court of law
6. The warrant for doing so

execūˈtioner noun

A person who executes, esp one who carries out a sentence of death

executive /eg-zekˈū-tiv/ adjective

1. Concerned with performance, administration or management
2. Qualifying for or relating to the execution of the law
3. Administrative
4. For the use of business executives
5. Hence (loosely) expensive or sophisticated
6. Active
7. Designed or fitted to execute or perform

1. The power or authority in government that carries the laws into effect
2. The persons who administer the government or an organization
3. A person in an executive position in government or business
4. (also chief executive) the head of an executive, eg a president, governor, mayor, etc (US)

execˈūtively adverb

execūtor /eg-zekˈ/ noun

1. A person who executes or performs
2. A person appointed by a testator to see a will carried into effect (law)

execūtōˈrial adjective

execˈūtorship noun

execˈūtory adjective

1. Executing official duties
2. Designed to be carried into effect

execˈūtrix noun (pl execˈūtrixes or execūtrīˈcēs)

A female executor (also execˈutress)

execˈūtry noun

1. Executorship
2. Moveable or heritable estate and effects (Scots law)

execution error noun (computing)

A programming error which comes to light when the program is run (also called run-time error)

Executive Council noun

1. A ministerial council headed by the Governor(-General) (Aust and NZ)
2. (without caps) a council with executive power

executive officer noun

1. An officer with executive power
2. (in certain countries, eg US) a naval officer responsible for the general administration of a ship

executive program noun (computing)

A program which controls the use of a computer and the running of compiled programs

executive session noun (US)

1. A meeting of the Senate for executive business, usu held in private
2. Any meeting in private

executive toy noun

A mechanism or gadget with little practical use, intended primarily as a diversion for business executives