# sachem

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈseɪt͡ʃəm/ · frequency rank #85,738

## Definitions
1. A chief of one or several Native American tribe(s), especially of the Algonquians; a sagamore.
2. A boss, a leader.
3. An eminent member of a group, or an eminent person in society; a sagamore.
4. A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political organization.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Narragansett sachem; compare Mi'kmaq saqamaw (“chief”) and Unami sakima (“chief”), all ultimately from Proto-Algonquian *sa·kima·wa. Doublet of sagamore.

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