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
The agencies' leaders are chosen by state governments, as was the case in Illinois, where Director Heidi E. Mueller was appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker.
—
Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
Middle East crisis — explained Israel has launched extensive airstrikes across Lebanon, including one in September that killed Hezbollah's longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 27 Nov. 2024
These brand leaders, irrespective of the industry, set benchmarks globally for other brands to learn from and replicate.
—Arnav Sharma, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
However, the company has been left behind by SK Hynix in developing next-generation chips, which have become integral components for AI silicon leader Nvidia.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 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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Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
Middle East crisis — explained Israel has launched extensive airstrikes across Lebanon, including one in September that killed Hezbollah's longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 27 Nov. 2024
These brand leaders, irrespective of the industry, set benchmarks globally for other brands to learn from and replicate.
—Arnav Sharma, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
However, the company has been left behind by SK Hynix in developing next-generation chips, which have become integral components for AI silicon leader Nvidia.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 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 1 Dec. 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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