ceo

IPA/ˌsiː iː ˈəʊ/
KK[sˈiˌiˈo]IPA/ˌsiː iː ˈəʊ/

ceo — noun

  • ceosingular
  • ceosplural

1. the most senior manager of a company or other organization, who makes the most i

1.nounB1
Definition

the most senior manager of a company or other organization, who makes the most important decisions about its direction and operations

Example

The CEO of the renewable energy company announced a new plan to cut carbon emissions.

CEO + of + [industry sector]

Yara was appointed CEO of a small software firm in her hometown last year.

Common collocations
  • appoint a new CEO
  • CEO of [company]
  • resign as CEO
  • step down as CEO
  • current / former / incoming CEO
Synonyms
  • chief executive

    slightly more formal; often used in official reports and documents rather than in everyday news

  • managing director

    common in British and Commonwealth English; often refers to the same top role but can imply a more hands-on operational focus

  • president

    in some companies (especially in the US) the president is the top role, but in many large firms the president reports to the CEO

Antonyms
  • employee

    a person who works for a company but does not hold its top leadership position

  • subordinate

    someone lower in rank within the organizational hierarchy

Grammar Patterns

the CEO + of + organization

a/an + CEO

CEO + verb (singular)

Usage Note

CEO is commonly used with an article: 'a CEO' for the role in general, or 'the CEO' for a specific person who holds the position. It is usually pronounced as three separate letters (C-E-O) rather than as a single word.

Common Mistakes

The CEO of company decided to hire more workers.
The CEO of the company decided to hire more workers.
'company' needs a determiner (such as 'the' or 'a') when referring to a specific organization.
She is a CEO of Apple.
She is the CEO of Apple.
use 'the' (not 'a') when referring to the single person holding that role in a specific organization.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While CEO (chief executive officer) is the most common title for the top leader of a company worldwide, each alternative has a different flavor. 'Chief executive' is a slightly more formal synonym often found in legal documents and annual reports. 'Managing director' is the standard term in many British and Commonwealth companies; it emphasizes the operational side — overseeing daily management — whereas CEO can also include a strong external-facing role (investors, media, government). 'President' can be the top title in some US-based organizations and smaller firms, but in many large corporations the president reports to the CEO. For example: 'The CEO met with shareholders to discuss the merger,' but 'The managing director of the London office handled the local negotiations.'

chief executivemanaging directorpresident ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • newly appointed as
  • recently hired as

Phrases

  • CEO and founder
  • CEO and president
  • CEO of a technology company

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

CEO is an abbreviation for 'chief executive officer.' The word 'chief' comes from Old French 'chief' (head, leader), which goes back to Latin 'caput' (head). 'Executive' comes from Latin 'exsequi' (to follow through, to carry out). 'Officer' traces through Old French 'oficier' from Latin 'officium' (duty, service). The full title became common in American business during the early 1900s, and the abbreviation CEO became widely used in the 1970s as corporate structures grew more complex.