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

Even if a future leader wanted to reverse Trump's duties, revenue considerations will complicate the situation, Lipsky predicts.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

And Gaughan insists using food as a loss leader still works for the South Point, which is more reliant on gambling than the city is overall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch's al fresco speech and news conference on a rooftop in central London on Thursday was a tacit acknowledgement that the political terms of trade have changed.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Four women and two men are in the running to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 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

Viewed by corporate America as hostile to their interests, she will work with another Mamdani appointee seen by business leaders as more of an ally.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Feldman, Pasadena Playhouse’s artistic director, noted that Eustis represents the second generation of leaders of the “first chapter” of the nonprofit regional theater movement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Some provincial leaders have pushed for firmer action on trade negotiations by Ottawa.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

The ICC, which is based in The Hague, also issued warrants for the arrest of several key leaders of Hamas, who have since been killed.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

A student of history, he often quoted an exchange between German leaders from early in the war, as the horrific combat spiraled out of control.

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

Related Words

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