1
: something that leads: such as
a
: a primary or terminal shoot of a plant
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
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
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
Examples of leader in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
However, today’s tech leaders’ political positions are a mixed bag.
—
Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
The four European leaders jointly visited Kyiv last week and have been calling for Trump to back new sanctions on Russia.
—Pavel Polityuk, USA Today, 20 May 2025
The Charter-Cox combination would have 38 million customer homes in the nation, a larger footprint than longtime cable leader Comcast.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Russia-Ukraine President Trump spent two hours on the phone with Vladimir Putin on Monday, hoping to learn when the Russian leader was going to end his war in Ukraine.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for leader
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
The four European leaders jointly visited Kyiv last week and have been calling for Trump to back new sanctions on Russia.
—Pavel Polityuk, USA Today, 20 May 2025
The Charter-Cox combination would have 38 million customer homes in the nation, a larger footprint than longtime cable leader Comcast.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Russia-Ukraine President Trump spent two hours on the phone with Vladimir Putin on Monday, hoping to learn when the Russian leader was going to end his war in Ukraine.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for leader
Cite this Entry
“Leader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leader. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
leader
noun
lead·er
ˈlēd-ər 
1
: something that leads: as
a
: a short line for attaching the end of a fishing line to a lure or hook
b
: a pipe for conducting fluid
2
: a person that leads: as
3
: a horse placed in front of the other horses of a team
leadership
noun
-ˌship
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