Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

headship

American  
[hed-ship] / ˈhɛd ʃɪp /

noun

  1. the position of head or chief; chief authority; leadership; supremacy.


headship British  
/ ˈhɛdʃɪp /

noun

  1. the position or state of being a leader; command; leadership

  2. education the position of headmaster or headmistress of a school

"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

Etymology

Origin of headship

First recorded in 1575–85; head + -ship


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:

It was not immediately clear whether Lam had succeeded in his goal of securing the national presidency -- seen as the second most powerful position in Vietnamese politics -- as well as the party headship.

From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026

Royal historian Ed Owens said the 73-year-old heir to the British throne may find that “on taking over the headship of the Commonwealth, he finds himself in charge of a rapidly disintegrating organization.”

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 22, 2022

In a Twitter thread Wednesday, Moore took aim at complementarianism, the 20th century theological framework that argues men and women were created for different roles and that effectively champions male headship and female submission.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 7, 2021

"Unsurprisingly, it is disadvantaged students in areas with relatively few opportunities, in schools that must improve, who are most affected by these negative perceptions of headship."

From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2016

George, who under Pitt and Temple only enjoyed subordinate office,138 was for a time lured from the family allegiance by Bute with the offer of a Secretaryship of State and the reversion of the headship.

From Lord Chatham His Early Life and Connections by Archibald Phillip Primrose Rosebery

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com