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leadership

American  
[lee-der-ship] / ˈli dərˌʃɪp /

noun

  • leaderships
    plural
  1. An image of the word leadership as defined by the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group.

    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
  2. ability to lead.

    As early as sixth grade she displayed remarkable leadership potential.

    Synonyms:
    clout, sway, effectiveness, command, influence, authoritativeness
  3. an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction.

    They prospered under his strong leadership.

  4. the leaders of a group.

    The union leadership agreed to arbitrate.


leadership British  
/ ˈliːdəʃɪp /

noun

  1. the position or function of a leader

  2. the period during which a person occupies the position of leader

    during her leadership very little was achieved

    1. the ability to lead

    2. ( as modifier )

      leadership qualities

  3. the leaders as a group of a party, union, etc

    the union leadership is now very reactionary

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of leadership

First recorded in 1815–25; leader + -ship


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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing leadership

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:

“There’s a strategic impact because the fighters become disconnected from the leaders, from the ELN leadership in Colombia,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

His decision not to seek the minority leadership clears the way for a contest between current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Long was appointed to the CFO role in October following a 2024 advisory committee recommendation that Super Micro bring in new financial leadership.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

“It really started as a shared passion and interest in women’s sports and building communities and new leadership models and all the things that ‘Ted Lasso’ is about that are far beyond football.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

I try to hold it together, because leadership requires at least a pretense of grace under pressure.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Melania Trump said she had worked with the Russian and Ukrainian leaderships on the Oleshky plan, and that civilian leaders from both countries would "work together" and visit the devastated city to assess aid needs.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 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

For ages, trades unions made various pay demands, often well in excess of 5%, which the leaderships of many unions are now saying is acceptable for the next financial year.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2023

They bore themselves with the air of leaderships; they had the port of philosophers, noblemen and kings.

From Anne Bradstreet and Her Time by Helen Campbell

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