U

chancellor

noun

the chief minister of state in certain parliamentary governments, as in Germany; prime minister; premier.
the chief administrative officer in certain American universities.
a secretary, as to a king or noble or of an embassy.
the priest in charge of a Roman Catholic chancery.
the title of various important judges and other high officials.
(in some states of the U.S.) the judge of a court of equity or chancery.
British. the honorary, nonresident, titular head of a university.

noun

the head of the government in several European countries
US the president of a university or, in some colleges, the chief administrative officer
British and Canadian the honorary head of a universityCompare vice chancellor (def. 1)
US (in some states) the presiding judge of a court of chancery or equity
British the chief secretary of an embassy
Christianity a clergyman acting as the law officer of a bishop
archaic the chief secretary of a prince, nobleman, etc

early 12c., from Old French chancelier (12c.), from Late Latin cancellarius “keeper of the barrier, secretary, usher of a law court,” so called because he worked behind a lattice (Latin cancellus) at a basilica or law court (see chancel). In the Roman Empire, a sort of court usher; the post gradually gained importance in the Western kingdoms. A variant form, canceler, existed in Old English, from Old North French, but was replaced by this central French form.