# big cheese

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

## Etymology
From big + cheese (“wealth, fame, importance”). Earliest use to mean importance from 1910.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/big-cheese