leader

American  

[lee-der] / ˈli dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that leads.

2. a guiding or directing head, as of an army, movement, or political group.

3. Music.

   1. a conductor or director, as of an orchestra, band, or chorus.

   2. the player at the head of the first violins in an orchestra, the principal cornetist in a band, or the principal soprano in a chorus, to whom any incidental solos are usually assigned.

4. a featured article of trade, especially one offered at a low price to attract customers.

5. Journalism.

   1. leading article.

   2. Also called leading article.  British. the principal editorial in a newspaper.

6. blank film or tape at the beginning of a length of film or magnetic tape, used for threading a motion-picture camera, tape recorder, etc.

7. Angling.

   1. a length of nylon, silkworm gut, wire, or the like, to which the lure or hook is attached.

   2. the net used to direct fish into a weir, pound, etc.

8. a pipe for conveying rainwater downward, as from a roof; downspout.

9. a horse harnessed at the front of a team.

10. Printing. leaders, a row of dots or a short line to lead the eye across a space.

11. Nautical. lead.

12. a duct for conveying warm air from a hot-air furnace to a register or stack.

13. Mining. a thin vein of ore connected with a large vein.

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leader British  

/ ˈliːdə /

noun

1. a person who rules, guides, or inspires others; head

2. music

   1. Also called (esp US and Canadian): concertmaster.  the principal first violinist of an orchestra, who plays solo parts, and acts as the conductor's deputy and spokesman for the orchestra

   2. a conductor or director of an orchestra or chorus

3. 1. the first man on a climbing rope

   2. the leading horse or dog in a team

4. an article offered at a sufficiently low price to attract customers See also loss leader

5. a statistic or index that gives an advance indication of the state of the economy

6. Also called: leading article.  the leading editorial in a newspaper

7. angling another word for trace 2 cast

8. nautical another term for fairlead

9. a strip of blank film or tape used to facilitate threading a projector, developing machine, etc, and to aid identification

10. (plural) printing rows of dots or hyphens used to guide the reader's eye across a page, as in a table of contents

11. botany any of the long slender shoots that grow from the stem or branch of a tree: usually removed during pruning

12. a member of the Government having primary authority in initiating legislative business (esp in the phrases Leader of the House of Commons and Leader of the House of Lords )

13. the senior barrister, usually a Queen's Counsel, in charge of the conduct of a case Compare junior

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Other Word Forms

• leaderless
  adjective
• subleader
  noun

Etymology

Origin of leader

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English leder(e); see lead ¹, -er ¹

Explanation

A leader is the one in the charge, the person who convinces other people to follow. A great leader inspires confidence in other people and moves them to action. A leader is the head guy or gal, the one running the show. The leader of the band calls the shots and sets the tempo for the music. A conductor is the leader of an orchestra; all musicians look to him or her to know when to begin and end playing their instruments. A president is the leader of a country whose decisions make a difference to the whole population. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. A leader comes first in line — in a parade or a social system — and gets a lot of attention, but ultimately, a leader needs followers.

Example Sentences

The back and forth on Iran comes as U.S. and Chinese officials put the final touches on Trump’s visit to Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing later this week.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

Sarwar refused to be drawn on how long he would continue as leader and did not commit to leading his party into the next election in five years' time.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

WASHINGTON—As the heads of the world’s two superpowers meet in Beijing this week, President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will have another nation looming over their summit: Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

Facing life in prison with no parole, Zambada is being held while he awaits a July 20 sentencing hearing at the same federal jail in Brooklyn that houses former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

He came creeping into camp with three injured dogs and his leader dead.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

• chief
• commander
• director
• head
• manager
• officer
• ruler