headman
noun
head·man
1
a
ˈhed-ˈman 
: foreman, overseer
: foreman, overseer b
ˈhed-ˈman
-ˌman
: a lesser chief of a primitive community 2
ˈhed-mən : headsman
: headsman 
Synonyms
- boss
- boss man
- captain
- chief
- foreman
- head
- helmsman
- honcho
- jefe
- kingpin
- leader
- master
- taskmaster
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
as headman at the newspaper 20 years ago, he hired the then-promising young reporter who won this year's Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting
Recent Examples on the Web One of the members, Ram Prasad, a former village headman from an upper caste, said the initiative would break the taboo associated with the act. 
Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2022 The Cardinals were pitted against No. 10 seed Minnesota, coached by Richard Pitino, the son of former Cardinal headman Rick Pitino. Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 27 Aug. 2021 Wednesday evening, Louisville’s Board of Trustees and the Athletic Association Board of Directors agreed to a separation agreement with Mack, ending his tenure as the Cardinal headman at just under four years. Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 28 Jan. 2022 Western Michigan football will temporarily be without its headman. Tyler J. Davis, Detroit Free Press, 21 Sep. 2021 And then late in the first, Kaprizov went for a headman pass that Rask skated into but again Fleury blocked the attempt. Sarah Mclellan, Star Tribune, 26 May 2021 Lunana’s headman, Kaka, who goes by one name, said the most important part of the vaccination campaign was not on the ground, but in the sky. New York Times, 18 Apr. 2021 Rudolfs Balcers roofed a headman pass from Tomas Hertl over Kahkonen 4 minutes, 41 seconds into the period after getting a step on Ryan Suter. Sarah Mclellan, Star Tribune, 1 Apr. 2021 Thompson has been the headman at Belfry for eight years and has been coaching high school basketball for 24. Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 12 Mar. 2021 See More
Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2022 The Cardinals were pitted against No. 10 seed Minnesota, coached by Richard Pitino, the son of former Cardinal headman Rick Pitino. Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 27 Aug. 2021 Wednesday evening, Louisville’s Board of Trustees and the Athletic Association Board of Directors agreed to a separation agreement with Mack, ending his tenure as the Cardinal headman at just under four years. Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 28 Jan. 2022 Western Michigan football will temporarily be without its headman. Tyler J. Davis, Detroit Free Press, 21 Sep. 2021 And then late in the first, Kaprizov went for a headman pass that Rask skated into but again Fleury blocked the attempt. Sarah Mclellan, Star Tribune, 26 May 2021 Lunana’s headman, Kaka, who goes by one name, said the most important part of the vaccination campaign was not on the ground, but in the sky. New York Times, 18 Apr. 2021 Rudolfs Balcers roofed a headman pass from Tomas Hertl over Kahkonen 4 minutes, 41 seconds into the period after getting a step on Ryan Suter. Sarah Mclellan, Star Tribune, 1 Apr. 2021 Thompson has been the headman at Belfry for eight years and has been coaching high school basketball for 24. Hayes Gardner, The Courier-Journal, 12 Mar. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
headman
noun
as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do as headman at the newspaper 20 years ago, he hired the then-promising young reporter who won this year's Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- leader
- foreman
- chief
- boss
- captain
- master
- commander
- manager
- director
- head
- lord
- overseer
- honcho
- superintendent
- administrator
- jefe
- helmsman
- kingpin
- supervisor
- executive
- taskmaster
- governor
- president
- boss man
- principal
- king
- leadman
- skipper
- steward
- overlord
- mistress
- general
- baron
- ruler
- potentate
- prince
- directress
- czar
- hierarch
- figurehead
- dominator
- straw boss
- bigwig
- employer
- superior
- magnate
- mogul
- higher-up
- sovereign
- coleader
- top gun
- top dog
- tsar
- sovran
- big gun
- gaffer
- tzar
- cohead
- ganger
- micromanager
- standard-bearer
- subchief
- big cheese
- subdirector
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- junior
- subordinate
- secondary
- dependent
- subject
- underling
- inferior