majority leader

American  

noun

1. the leader of the majority party in a legislative body, especially the party member who directs the activities of the majority party on the floor of either the Senate or the House of Representatives.

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majority leader Cultural  

1. The leader of the party that holds a majority of seats in either house of Congress or of a state legislature. Selected by their own party caucus es, majority leaders act as chief spokespersons and strategists for their parties. In the House of Representatives, the majority leader is second in command of his party, after the Speaker of the House. (See also minority leader.)

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Etymology

Origin of majority leader

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55

Example Sentences

Unlike the president pro tem, the majority leader exercises significant legislative authority, sits on the Gang of Eight, and is often in his political prime.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

She served as a Democrat in the Assembly and state Senate and became the Senate’s first woman majority leader in 2005.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

He’s been the majority whip and very nearly became the majority leader in 2024, losing only to Sen. John Thune of South Dakota by 5 votes.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

“We are confronting death on a scale that we haven’t seen before because of the size of the baby-boom generation,” said Sen. Jamie Pedersen, majority leader of the Washington state senate, who shepherded the legislation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

Trent Lott, the majority leader of the U.S.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt