headman

noun

head·​man

1

a

ˈhed-ˈman  : foreman, overseer

b

ˈhed-ˈman 

-ˌman

: a lesser chief of a primitive community

2

ˈhed-mən  : headsman

Synonyms

• leader
• foreman
• boss
• chief
• captain
• master
• commander
• manager
• director
• head

Examples of headman in a Sentence

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

Even as Tennessee enjoyed a new coach bounce, scoring 10 points in what felt like 10 seconds for interim headman Mike McCoy, the Pats didn’t flinch. —Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025

The child’s uncle, Salim Güran — the village headman — had been arrested earlier in the probe, per Hürriyet Daily News. —Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025

Jerry Jones’ relationship with Colorado Buffaloes headman Deion Sanders is documented, but hiring Coach Prime may only be considered if the Cowboys pivot off of Prescott and draft Deion’s son Shedeur Sanders. —Kambui Bomani, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

Jon Merrill came on for Bogosian and got caught flat-footed when Manson hit a headman pass to the blue line for O’Connor. —Michael Russo, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for headman

• deadman
• headmen
• stedman

Kids Definition

headman

noun

head·​man ˈhed-ˈman 

-ˌman

: one who is a leader (as of a tribe, clan, or village) : chief