leader
Other forms: leaders
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.
Definitions of leader
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a person who rules or guides or inspires others
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antonyms:
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follower
a person who accepts the leadership of another
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examples:
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Saddam bin Hussein at-Takriti
Iraqi leader who waged war against Iran; his invasion of Kuwait led to the Gulf War (born in 1937)
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Judas Maccabaeus
Jewish leader of a revolt in Judea that recovered Jerusalem around 166 BC; hero of the Apocryphal books I Maccabees and II Maccabees (?-161 BC)
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Ahmad Shah Masoud
Afghan leader of forces opposed to the Taliban; won fame by successfully resisting the Soviets in the 1980s; was assassinated by men posing as journalists (1953-2001)
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Muammar al-Qaddafi
Libyan leader who seized power in a military coup d'etat in 1969; deposed the Libyan monarchy and imposed socialism and Islamic orthodoxy on the country (born in 1942)
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types:
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spiritual leader
a leader in religious or sacred affairs
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aristocrat, blue blood, patrician
a member of the aristocracy
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bellwether
someone who assumes leadership of a movement or activity
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caller
the person who convenes a meeting
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captain, chieftain
the leader of a group of people
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cheerleader
someone who leads the cheers by spectators at a sporting event
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choragus
(ancient Greece) leader of a group or festival; leader of a chorus
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civic leader, civil leader
a leader in municipal affairs
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commander
someone in an official position of authority who can give orders or control others
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Ubermensch, demigod, superman
a person with great powers and abilities
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duce
leader
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employer
a person or firm that employs workers
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father
a person who holds an important or distinguished position in some organization
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boss
a person who exercises control and makes decisions
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fugleman
a leader and organizer and spokesman (especially a political leader)
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galvaniser, galvanizer, inspirer
a leader who stimulates and excites people to action
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guide
someone who shows the way by leading or advising
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guru
a recognized leader in some field or of some movement
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chief, head, top dog
a person who is in charge
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chief, chieftain, headman, tribal chief
the head of a tribe or clan
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imam, imaum
(Islam) the man who leads prayers in a mosque; for Shiites an imam is a recognized authority on Islamic theology and law and a spiritual guide
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initiator, instigator
a person who initiates a course of action
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labor leader
a leader of a labor movement
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lawgiver, lawmaker
a maker of laws; someone who gives a code of laws
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malik
the leader of a town or community in some parts of Asia Minor and the Indian subcontinent
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military leader
a leader of military forces
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misleader
someone who leads astray (often deliberately)
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model, role model
someone worthy of imitation
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hero
a person distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength
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nationalist leader
the leader of a nationalist movement
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pied piper
a leader who entices people to follow (especially to their doom)
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point man
someone who is the forefront of an important enterprise
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point woman
a woman who is the forefront of an important enterprise
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pol, political leader, politician, politico
a person active in party politics
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politician
a leader engaged in civil administration
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presiding officer
the leader of a group meeting
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puppet leader, puppet ruler
a leader or ruler who is chosen by a despot to head a government
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religious leader
leader of a religious order
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scoutmaster
the leader of a troop of Scouts
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spearhead
someone who leads or initiates an activity (attack or campaign etc.)
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strike leader
someone who leads a strike
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higher-up, superior, superordinate
one of greater rank or station or quality
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torchbearer
a leader in a campaign or movement
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trainer
one who trains other persons or animals
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figurehead
a leader in name only, without real power or authority
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American Revolutionary leader
a nationalist leader in the American Revolution and in the creation of the United States
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administrator, executive
someone who manages a government agency or department
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administrator, decision maker
someone who administers a business
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aggressor
a confident assertive person who acts as instigator
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ayatollah
a high-ranking Shiite religious leader who is regarded as an authority on religious law and its interpretation and who has political power as well
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Bart, baronet
a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight
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better
a superior person having claim to precedence
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boss, hirer
a person responsible for hiring workers
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brahman, brahmin
a member of a social and cultural elite (especially a descendant of an old New England family)
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campaigner, candidate, nominee
a politician who is running for public office
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cantor, hazan
the official of a synagogue who conducts the liturgical part of the service and sings or chants the prayers intended to be performed as solos
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capo
the head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate
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Catholicos
the ecclesiastical title of the leaders of the Nestorian and Armenian churches
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cicerone
a guide who conducts and informs sightseers
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clergyman, man of the cloth, reverend
a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of a Christian church
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coach, handler, manager
(sports) someone in charge of training an athlete or a team
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Communist
a member of the communist party
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convener
the member of a group whose duty it is to convene meetings
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demagog, demagogue, rabble-rouser
a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices
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Democrat
a member of the Democratic Party
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department head
the head of a department
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don, father
the head of an organized crime family
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drug baron, drug lord
a person who controls an organization dealing in illegal drugs
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Evangelist
(when capitalized) any of the spiritual leaders who are assumed to be authors of the Gospels in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
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Federalist
a member of a former political party in the United States that favored a strong centralized federal government
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female aristocrat
a woman who is an aristocrat
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general, superior general
the head of a religious order or congregation
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general manager
the highest ranking manager
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god
a man of such superior qualities that he seems like a deity to other people
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governor
the head of a state government
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grand dragon
a high ranking person in the Ku Klux Klan
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guru
a Hindu or Buddhist religious leader and spiritual teacher
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Guru
each of the first ten leaders of the Sikh religion
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animal trainer, handler
one who trains or exhibits animals
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head of household
the head of a household or family or tribe
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Highness
(Your Highness or His Highness or Her Highness) title used to address a royal person
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Indian chief, Indian chieftain
the leader of a group of Native Americans
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Labourite
a member of the British Labour Party
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legislator
someone who makes or enacts laws
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hack, machine politician, political hack, ward-heeler
a politician who belongs to a small clique that controls a political party for private rather than public ends
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male aristocrat
a man who is an aristocrat
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master
directs the work of others
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city manager, mayor
the head of a city government
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mistress
a woman master who directs the work of others
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apotheosis, ideal, nonesuch, nonpareil, nonsuch, paragon, saint
model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
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moderator
someone who presides over a forum or debate
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moderator
in the Presbyterian church, the officer who presides over a synod or general assembly
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Mugwump
someone who bolted from the Republican Party during the U.S. presidential election of 1884
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noncandidate
someone who has announced they are not a candidate; especially a politician who has announced that he or she is not a candidate for some political office
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padrone
an employer who exploits Italian immigrants in the U.S.
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boss, party boss, political boss
a leader in a political party who controls votes and dictates appointments
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party liner, party man
a member of a political party who follows strictly the party line
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patriarch
title for the heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (in Istanbul and Alexandria and Moscow and Jerusalem)
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pendragon
the supreme war chief of the ancient Britons
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Bishop of Rome, Catholic Pope, Holy Father, Roman Catholic Pope, Vicar of Christ, pontiff, pope
the head of the Roman Catholic Church
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chair, chairman, chairperson, chairwoman, president
the officer who leads the meetings of an organization
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non-Christian priest, priest
a person who performs religious duties and ceremonies in a non-Christian religion
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prince
a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
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princess
a female member of a royal family other than the queen (especially the daughter of a sovereign)
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promulgator
(law) one who promulgates laws (announces a law as a way of putting it into execution)
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rabbi
spiritual leader of a Jewish congregation; qualified to expound and apply Jewish law
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raja, rajah
a prince or king in India
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ranee, rani
(the feminine of raja) a Hindu princess or the wife of a raja
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Republican
a member of the Republican Party
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sachem
a political leader (especially of Tammany Hall)
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secretary
a person who is head of an administrative department of government
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Simon Legree, slave driver
a cruel employer who demands excessive work from the employees
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socialist
a political advocate of socialism
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Speaker
the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly
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standard-bearer
an outstanding leader of a political movement
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national leader, solon, statesman
a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs
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supervisor
one who supervises or has charge and direction of
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technocrat
an advocate of technocracy
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docent, tour guide
a guide who leads others on a tour
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fashion arbiter, taste-maker, trend-setter
someone who popularizes a new fashion
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warlord
supreme military leader exercising civil power in a region especially one accountable to nobody when the central government is weak
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Whig
a member of the Whig Party that existed in the United States before the American Civil War
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Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin, Grigori Potemkin, Grigori Potyokin, Potemkin, Potyokin
a Russian officer and politician who was a favorite of Catherine II and in 1762 helped her to seize power; when she visited the Crimea in 1787 he gave the order for sham villages to be built (1739-1791)
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follower
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a featured article of merchandise sold at a loss in order to draw customers
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synonyms:
drawing card, loss leader
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type of:
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feature
an article of merchandise that is displayed or advertised more than other articles
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feature
Pronunciation
US
/ˈlidər/
UK
/ˈlidə/
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Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing leader
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Beowulf vocabulary
Vocabulary from "Beowulf" (translated by by Gummere).
