leadership
Americannoun
-
leaderships
plural
-
the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group.
He managed to maintain his leadership of the party despite heavy opposition.
- Synonyms:
- hegemony, stewardship, governorship, control, directorship, management, administration
-
ability to lead.
As early as sixth grade she displayed remarkable leadership potential.
- Synonyms:
- clout, sway, effectiveness, command, influence, authoritativeness
-
an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction.
They prospered under his strong leadership.
-
the leaders of a group.
The union leadership agreed to arbitrate.
noun
-
the position or function of a leader
-
the period during which a person occupies the position of leader
during her leadership very little was achieved
-
-
the ability to lead
-
( as modifier )
leadership qualities
-
-
the leaders as a group of a party, union, etc
the union leadership is now very reactionary
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of leadership
Explanation
Leadership is the action of leading a group of people. Or, the actual people who lead the group. If you think you have leadership skills, you better be able to rally the troops and get the job done. Leadership can be the act of leading, or a name for the group of people doing the leading. The House leadership, newly emboldened by election results, may set an ambitious agenda for the new session of Congress. Your own leadership skills may be called into question if your entire staff resigns and goes to work for your competitor.
Vocabulary lists containing leadership
"Speaking Up"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 7
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Speeches on the Little Rock Nine"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Previous American wars equally have highlighted both the fraught nature of serving in higher-level leadership roles and in lower ranks where war’s injurious effects are most grievously felt.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
He supported a halacha similar to that of the sect and opposed the Pharisaic leadership.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Tom Bradley was a visionary in so many ways and I look to him for leadership on bridging different parts of the city together.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei has been among the most prominent voices in AI industry leadership calling for a slowdown in development.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Throughout the campaign, Barack had criticized the president's leadership frequently and in detail, promising voters he would fix the many things he viewed as mistakes.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
That represents only 0.1 percent of the total, but would be a significant sum for the leaderships of FIFA's poorer or smaller members.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
While both groups have recruited new fighters to fill their ranks, their military leaderships are still in disarray, some of the people familiar with intelligence said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
“An effective U.S. deterrent threat must hold at risk what contemporary hostile leaderships value most, because they are the audience that must be deterred,” the report states.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 27, 2023
And, remember, while most union leaderships have recommended their members back this agreement, it is up to those members to decide whether they will.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2023
Granville and Hartington found themselves practically dispossessed of their respective leaderships, and Gladstonianism dominated the active and fighting section of the Liberal party.
From Prime Ministers and Some Others A Book of Reminiscences by George William Erskine Russell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
