leader
noun
lead·er ˈlē-dər 
1
: something that leads: such as
a
: a primary or terminal shoot of a plant
b
: tendon, sinew
the leaders in his wrists moved like baling wire
Dillon Anderson
Dillon Anderson c
leaders plural : dots or hyphens (as in an index) used to lead the eye horizontally : ellipsis sense 2
d
chiefly British : a newspaper editorial
e(1)
: something for guiding fish into a trap
(2)
: a short length of material for attaching the end of a fishing line to a lure or hook
f
: loss leader
g
: something that ranks first
the leaders among communicable diseases
h
: a blank section at the beginning or end of a reel of film or recorded tape
2
: a person who leads: such as
a
: guide, conductor
The tour leader recommended several restaurants in the area.
b(1)
: a person who directs a military force or unit
leaders of the army
(2)
: a person who has commanding authority or influence
a leader in the reform movement
c(1)
: the principal officer of a British political party
(2)
: a party member chosen to manage party activities in a legislative body
the majority leader
(3)
: such a party member presiding over the whole legislative body when the party constitutes a majority
the leader of the House
d(1)
: conductor sense c
the orchestra's leader
(2)
: a first or principal performer of a group
The concertmaster is the leader of the violin section.
3
: a horse placed in advance of the other horses of a team
leaderless
ˈlē-dər-ləs
adjective 
Synonyms
- channel
- conduit
- duct
- line
- penstock
- pipe
- trough
- tube
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The tour leader suggested several restaurants in the area. She was the leader for most of the race, but she eventually finished second. The class focused on the great religious leaders of the last century. the leader of an army a leader of the antiwar movement Some people are leaders, and some people are followers. The company has become a leader in developing new technology. the leader of a popular big band of the 1930s The Times attacked the government in a leader today. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Before that, Timken ousted then-Ohio GOP leader Matt Borges in an apparent power grab by Trump over then-Gov. Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 9 Sep. 2022 The bartender in any bar or restaurant is a leader. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 In this scenario, Netflix would continue to be a leader in the video subscription market and see 9% compound annual growth rate until 2026, which is slightly above the S&P 500 annual growth rate and a roughly 3% average revenue per user growth. Lucy Brewster, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 The United States was once a leader in semiconductor chip manufacturing but has lost ground to other countries like China. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 7 Sep. 2022 Inflation may not be transitory but being leader of the U.K. Gerard Baker, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022 McLaughlin was the leader on the final restart, controlled it and pulled out to a nice lead before Newgarden easily reeled him in and won his fifth race of the season. Jenna Fryer, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 And the move by the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), which is aligned with longtime Senate GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, is another sign that Republicans still believe Hassan is beatable in November, even without a topflight GOP nominee. Paul Steinhauser, Fox News, 2 Sep. 2022 During Obama’s last two years in office, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked most of his court nominees, including Judge Merrick Garland, Obama’s choice for a Supreme Court vacancy. David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2022 See More
Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 9 Sep. 2022 The bartender in any bar or restaurant is a leader. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 In this scenario, Netflix would continue to be a leader in the video subscription market and see 9% compound annual growth rate until 2026, which is slightly above the S&P 500 annual growth rate and a roughly 3% average revenue per user growth. Lucy Brewster, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2022 The United States was once a leader in semiconductor chip manufacturing but has lost ground to other countries like China. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 7 Sep. 2022 Inflation may not be transitory but being leader of the U.K. Gerard Baker, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022 McLaughlin was the leader on the final restart, controlled it and pulled out to a nice lead before Newgarden easily reeled him in and won his fifth race of the season. Jenna Fryer, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 And the move by the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), which is aligned with longtime Senate GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, is another sign that Republicans still believe Hassan is beatable in November, even without a topflight GOP nominee. Paul Steinhauser, Fox News, 2 Sep. 2022 During Obama’s last two years in office, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked most of his court nominees, including Judge Merrick Garland, Obama’s choice for a Supreme Court vacancy. David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing leader
Kids Definition
leader
noun
lead·er ˈlē-dər
: someone or something that leads or is able to lead
a political leader
leaders
noun
1
as in conduits
a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas) the leader funnels water off of the roof and down into the cistern Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- conduits
- channels
- pipes
- tubes
- lines
- funnels
- drains
- troughs
- pipelines
- waste pipes
- penstocks
- ducts
- pipings
- stovepipes
- smokestacks
- mains
- tiles
- standpipes
- waterspouts
- hydrants
- spouts
- pipages
- drainpipes
- pipeages
2
as in bosses
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do the team leader is good at making sure that everyone keeps busy at their assigned tasks Synonyms & Similar Words
- bosses
- chiefs
- captains
- managers
- foremen
- masters
- commanders
- directors
- administrators
- executives
- supervisors
- superintendents
- presidents
- lords
- heads
- overseers
- headmen
- helmsmen
- honchos
- principals
- governors
- generals
- kingpins
- rulers
- taskmasters
- jefes
- stewards
- boss men
- kings
- employers
- superiors
- magnates
- hierarchs
- bigwigs
- princes
- skippers
- potentates
- dominators
- barons
- overlords
- leadmen
- figureheads
- directresses
- mistresses
- sovereigns
- moguls
- czars
- co-leaders
- standard-bearers
- coleaders
- straw bosses
- micromanagers
- higher-ups
- big guns
- top guns
- gangers
- top dogs
- big cheeses
- sub-chiefs
- sovrans
- tsars
- subchiefs
- coheads
- tzars
- co-heads
- gaffers
- sub-directors
- subdirectors
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- subordinates
- juniors
- subjects
- dependents
- underlings
- secondaries
- inferiors
3
as in pioneers
one that takes the lead or sets an example an architectural firm that is widely regarded as a leader in innovative residential design Synonyms & Similar Words
- pioneers
- pacesetters
- innovators
- trend-setters
- trendsetters
- bellwethers
- pacemakers
- pacers
- forerunners
- harbingers
- groundbreakers
- precursors
- heralds
- foregoers
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- followers
- imitators
- Johnny-come-latelies
- Johnnies-come-lately
- me-tooers