酋长是一个部落的首领。该称号今天仍然存在于阿拉伯世界、撒哈拉以南非洲部落、美洲原住民部落中。

• 炎黄部落酋长：黄帝
• 九黎部落酋长：蚩尤

A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom.

Tribal societies with social stratification under a single (or dual) leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.