kingpin

American  

[king-pin] / ˈkɪŋˌpɪn /

noun

kingpins plural

1. Bowling.

   1. headpin.

   2. the pin at the center; the number five pin.

2. Informal. the person of chief importance in a corporation, movement, undertaking, etc.

3. Informal. the chief element of any system, plan, or the like.

4. a kingbolt.

5. either of the pins that are a part of the mechanism for turning the front wheels in some automotive steering systems.

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kingpin British  

/ ˈkɪŋˌpɪn /

noun

1. the most important person in an organization

2. the crucial or most important feature of a theory, argument, etc

3. Also called (Brit): swivel pin.  a pivot pin that provides a steering joint in a motor vehicle by securing the stub axle to the axle beam

4. tenpin bowling the front pin in the triangular arrangement of the ten pins

5. (in ninepins) the central pin in the diamond pattern of the nine pins

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kingpins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kingpin

First recorded in 1795–1805; king + pin

Explanation

A kingpin, also called a "center pin" or a "five pin," is the pin at the very center in bowling. From the bowling pin definition of kingpin, we get its other common meaning: someone who is important. If you are the kingpin in your office, you are probably the boss. The kingpin is the bigwig or the very most important, authoritative, or essential person in a group. The kingpins of the music business are often the owners of record labels rather than the actual musicians, and the kingpin of your bowling team is the person who bowls a strike every single time. In machines, an important vertical bolt can also be called a kingpin. In other words, there is a good reason that king is the most important part of kingpin.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kingpin kingpins

He was no kingpin and had never met most of the people being charged.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

It was not long before Arsenal's defensive kingpin was hitting back at Haaland again.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

"We did not know that he was the kingpin," Hun Manet told AFP in Brussels, where he stopped as part of an international trip to shore up diplomatic support over a border conflict with Thailand.

From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026

He has been Showtime’s forgotten kingpin, its lost leader, its missing warrior, a stylishly distant legend who had been overshadowed by the seven Lakers whose statues stand watch over the plaza outside Crypto.com Arena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026

Well, when he got through figgerin’ he showed it to some other fellers and there it was, plain as anything—the earth wasn’t the big kingpin at all.

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt

Should the same be visited on cyber kingpins?

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

He could sanction Mexican officials suspected of complicity with kingpins.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2025

The US sanctions list is usually reserved for drug kingpins, terror operatives and dictators involved in widespread human rights abuses.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2025

According to the Home Office, the new £100m will boost border security and strengthen investigations targeting smuggling kingpins who have operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2025

Like kingpins, one steel tier lammed into another, then they all crashed to the floor with a sound as of the roof falling.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• boss
• company
• corporation
• entrepreneur
• executive
• firm
• management
• manager
• manufacturer
• organization
• owner