leader

American  

[lee-der] / ˈli dər /

noun

• leaders
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• subleader
  noun
• leaderless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• leaders
  plural

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

See Examples For:

leader leaders

The surge in artificial intelligence and the heated debate around its risks have made Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei the most visible tech leader -- though the 43-year-old remains an enigma.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Apple’s already the pack leader when it comes to wearables but its eager to grow that lead.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

Democratic State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin is facing off against Republican candidate and nonprofit leader Samuel Gallucci in the race for California’s 26th Congressional District.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Earlier this year, Authentic tapped the former CEO of casino operator Wynn Resorts, Matthew Maddox, to be its next leader.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

When Black Star was a year old, my father decided that he would never in this world make a good leader.

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

And Pichai was also among the industry leaders at a White House gathering, where executives signed a statement committing to voluntary internal AI safety controls and external reviews.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

He was also known for giving away luxury cars and large sums of money to musicians, religious leaders and other public figures, often publicising the gifts on social media.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Macron would also soon convene a video meeting of G7 leaders "to make progress on the various levers that can be used to address the rising fuel prices... including coordination on releasing reserves."

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

City leaders would need to find a way to pay for those increases later on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

At the United Nations, before an audience of world leaders in dark suits, Fidel Castro strode to the front of the room in green army fatigues.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

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