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
Synonyms
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
In closed-door meetings, House Speaker Mike Johnson was nominated for the role for his first full term, and Republican senators selected Sen. John Thune to be their next leader.
—
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Nix, a captain and budding leader, on Wednesday took a long, deep breath before answering a question about Forsyth and his demeanor since Sunday.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
But tribal leaders insist a public health emergency declaration is needed more than anything else.
—Kff Health News, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
What happened Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, resigned Tuesday amid intense pressure over his handling of a notorious child abuser.
—Rafi Schwartz, theweek, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leader 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Nix, a captain and budding leader, on Wednesday took a long, deep breath before answering a question about Forsyth and his demeanor since Sunday.
—Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
But tribal leaders insist a public health emergency declaration is needed more than anything else.
—Kff Health News, Orange County Register, 13 Nov. 2024
What happened Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, resigned Tuesday amid intense pressure over his handling of a notorious child abuser.
—Rafi Schwartz, theweek, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leader
Articles Related to leader
Dictionary Entries Near leader
Cite this Entry
“Leader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leader. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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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