leader

[ lee-der ]

/ ˈli dər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: leader / leaders on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that leads.

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

Music.

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

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

Journalism.

leading article (def. 1).
Also called leading article. British. the principal editorial in a newspaper.

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.Compare trailer (def. 6).

Angling.

a length of nylon, silkworm gut, wire, or the like, to which the lure or hook is attached.
the net used to direct fish into a weir, pound, etc.

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

a horse harnessed at the front of a team.

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

Nautical. lead¹ (def. 40b).

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

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

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of leader

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English leder(e); see lead¹, -er¹

OTHER WORDS FROM leader

lead·er·less, adjectivesub·lead·er, noun

Words nearby leader

lead colic, lead dioxide, lead down the garden path, leaded, leaden, leader, leader block, leader board, leader cable, leader head, leadership

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use leader in a sentence

Investors committing to the spirit of the legislation can provide capital to entrepreneurial leaders who need it badly.
Opportunity Zones haven’t fully reached their potential, but don’t write them off yet|jakemeth|September 16, 2020|Fortune
What’s more, she argues that a good leader knows when to move on.
Why one of the world’s few female bank CEOs decided to step down|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 16, 2020|Fortune
For Rakefet Russak-Aminoach, part of being a good leader is knowing when to leave.
She was one of the world’s few female bank CEOs. Now she’s founding a fintech venture group|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 15, 2020|Fortune
What we haven’t had is a leader who has prioritized it as a matter of public policy.
Can Anita Hill Forgive Joe Biden … and Work With Him?|Pallabi Munsi|September 14, 2020|Ozy

I’ve made a lot of mistakes both on making business decisions and being a business leader.
Momofuku’s David Chang on the big changes the restaurant industry needs to make to survive|Beth Kowitt|September 14, 2020|Fortune
Their leader, Njie, still going by “Dave” during the operation, would stay a safe distance away until the State House was secure.
The Shadowy U.S. Veteran Who Tried to Overthrow a Country|Jacob Siegel|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What it endangers is a narrow conception of Russian power, understood through the eyes of its dictatorial leader.
Oliver Stone’s Latest Dictator Suckup|James Kirchick|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is the kind of compassion espoused by every world religion and every revered religious leader.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion|Gene Robinson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He affected an anchorman finesse in apologizing for “past mistakes” as a Ku Klux Klan leader.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The seedlings of his potential greatness as a leader are sprinkled throughout it.
Mario Cuomo: An OK Governor, but a Far Better Person|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Dockier, a prominent leader of the Levelers, in the times of the English commonwealth, was shot by order of the government.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Every leader was killed, and every peaceful native whom the Spaniards met on their way was unmercifully treated.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
A leader of soldiers has a right to know something at least of the enterprise upon which he leads them.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
But in August, 1805, the approaching war with Austria caused the Emperor to summon his most brilliant cavalry leader to his side.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Scarce a day passed without some engagement in which the King of Naples showed his audacity and his talent as a leader.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for leader

leader

/ (ˈliːdə) /

noun

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

music

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
US a conductor or director of an orchestra or chorus

the first man on a climbing rope
the leading horse or dog in a team

mainly US and Canadian an article offered at a sufficiently low price to attract customersSee also loss leader

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

Also called: leading article mainly British the leading editorial in a newspaper

angling another word for trace 2 (def. 2), cast (def. 32a)

nautical another term for fairlead

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

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

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

British 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)

the senior barrister, usually a Queen's Counsel, in charge of the conduct of a caseCompare junior (def. 6)

Derived forms of leader

leaderless, adjective

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

leader

Origin of leader

OTHER WORDS FROM leader

Words nearby leader

Words related to leader

How to use leader in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for leader

Derived forms of leader