leader

noun

lead·​er ˈlē-dər 

1

: a person or animal who leads

They chose her as their leader.

the leader of the pack

: such as

a

: someone who directs another's way : 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

Her teachers declared her a born/natural leader.

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/minority 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.

2

: 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

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

The Times attacked the government in a leader today.

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

Next, we learned about the five basic components of fly-fishing equipment—the rod, reel, line, leader, and flies.

—Terry Lee Foose

f

: loss leader

g

: something that ranks first

the leaders in the competition

the leaders among communicable diseases

h

: a blank section at the beginning or end of a reel of film or recorded tape

3

: a horse placed in advance of the other horses of a team

In a tandem, two horses are driven one in front of the other, rather than side by side as in a pair. The … horse closest to the vehicle is between the shafts but the leader is out in front by himself connected … only by leather traces and guided by 28-foot reins.

—Horseplay

leaderless

ˈlē-dər-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms of leader

• pioneer
• pacesetter

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

Last week, in interviews with The Times, the leaders of the two largest unions — United Teachers Los Angeles and Service Employees International Union Local 99 — called for Carvalho to be replaced. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026

Aenys was known as a kind leader and married Alyssa Velaryon, creating a strong bond between the Targaryen and Velaryon families — two of the only families with dragons. —Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026

State leaders recently created a task force to examine the growing threat, particularly after a winter with low snowfall and continuing drought conditions in many mountain communities. —Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 22 June 2026

Time and time again in the history of technology, monopolistic industry leaders that long seemed invincible—from Xerox to IBM to AT&T—have proven vulnerable to agile upstarts and technology advances that broke markets wide open by lowering costs, expanding supply and leapfrogging capabilities. —Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing leader

• co-leader
• floor leader
• follow-the-leader
• leader of the opposition
• loss leader
• majority leader
• minority leader
• squadron leader

Rhymes for leader

• bleeder
• breeder
• feeder
• lieder
• meader
• pleader
• reader
• reeder
• seeder
• weeder
• cheerleader
• proofreader

Kids 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

a

: guide entry 1 sense 1a

b

: commander sense 1

c

: conductor sense 2

d

: a person in charge or in control : boss, chief

3

: a horse placed in front of the other horses of a team

leaderless

-ləs 

adjective

leadership

-ˌship

noun