Added 9 October 2026
chancellor
/ˈtʃɑːnsələ/ noun
In Latin: cancellārius Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about chancellor at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The British cabinet minister responsible for finance.
- The person who is head of government (in several countries).
- The honorary or titular head of a university.
Origin
From Anglo-Norman or Middle English chaunceler, chanceler, canceler (“chief administrative or executive officer of a ruler; chancellor, secretary; private secretary, scribe; Lord Chancellor of England; officer of the ruler's exchequer; a high administrative or executive officer (for example, a deputy or representative of a bishop; the head of a university)”), from Old French cancelier, chancelier (“chancellor”), from Late Latin cancellārius (“secretary; doorkeeper, porter; usher of a court of law stationed at the bars separating the public from the judges”), from Latin cancellī (plural of cancellus (“grate; bars, barrier; railings”), diminutive of cancer (“grid; barrier”), from Proto-Italic .
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)