Definition

1. Noun:
   • A high-level military advisory body: The Joint Chiefs of Staff is the group of senior uniformed leaders from the major service branches of the United States Armed Forces. It serves as the principal military advisory council to the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council.
   • An executive agency: It functions as an agency within the Department of Defense responsible for providing advice on military strategy, policy, and planning.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The President convened the Joint Chiefs of Staff for an urgent briefing on national security.
  • Recommendations from the Joint Chiefs of Staff significantly influence defense policy.

Advanced Usage

• "To meet with the Joint Chiefs of Staff": to have a conference or discussion with this advisory body.
  • The Secretary of Defense will meet with the Joint Chiefs of Staff tomorrow.
• "Advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff": the formal recommendations provided by this body.
  • The plan was developed based on the advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Variants and Related Words

• JCS: A common initialism for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  • The memo was distributed to all JCS members.
• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS): The presiding officer and highest-ranking member of the body.
  • The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military advisor to the President.

Synonyms

• Senior military advisors: A descriptive term for the group's function.
• The Chiefs: An informal shorthand reference within military and government contexts.

Notes on Meaning

• This term refers specifically to the institutional body as a collective advisory group. It is a proper noun and is typically capitalized.
• It does not refer to the individual military service branches themselves, but to the council composed of their leaders.
• The commandant of the Marine Corps is included as a member, reflecting its significant role within the U.S. military structure.

Noun

1. the executive agency that advises the President on military questions; composed of the chiefs of the United States Army and the United States Navy and the United States Air Force and the commandant of the United States Marine Corps