Definition

1. Noun (Historical, Military):
   • Commander-in-chief: The supreme commander of an armed force, holding the highest authority over all military operations and personnel. This term is now considered archaic in modern Vietnamese.
   • Leader / Chief: In a broader, figurative sense, it can refer to a person who holds the principal leadership role within a group or organization.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy là chủ soái của toàn bộ hạm đội. (He was the commander-in-chief of the entire fleet.)
  • Trong lĩnh vực công nghệ, ông ấy được xem như một chủ soái. (In the technology field, he is regarded as a chief leader.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "chủ soái" carries a formal and somewhat literary tone. It is rarely used in contemporary everyday language, especially in military contexts, where terms like "tổng tư lệnh" (commander-in-chief) or "chỉ huy" (commander) are more common. Its modern use is primarily figurative.

Variants and Related Words

• Tổng tư lệnh (n): Commander-in-chief (modern standard term).
• Chỉ huy (n/v): Commander / to command.
• Người đứng đầu (n): The head, the leader.

Synonyms

• Commander-in-chief
• Supreme commander
• Chief leader
• Head

Related Idioms

• While there are no direct idioms with "chủ soái", the concept is related to expressions of supreme authority, such as "nắm quyền tối cao" (to hold supreme power).