Meaning & use
exceptional leader
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UK/ɪkˌsepʃənl ˈliːdə/
US/ɪkˌsepʃənl ˈliːdər/
Meaning
phrasecountable
A person who leads others in an unusually excellent way.
Grammar: Countable noun phrase; use 'an' before it.
Patterns
- an exceptional leader
- be an exceptional leader
She was an exceptional leader who inspired her team.
An exceptional leader listens to everyone before making a decision.
He proved to be an exceptional leader during the crisis.
Common combinations
- a natural leader
- Even as a child, she was a natural leader.
- a strong leader
- The company needs a strong leader.
- an effective leader
- An effective leader communicates clearly.
- exceptional leadership
- The award recognized her exceptional leadership.
Synonyms and how they differ
- great leader
- More general and less emphatic; 'exceptional' stresses being far above the ordinary level.
- outstanding leader
- Very close in meaning, but 'outstanding' often suggests standing out from a group, while 'exceptional' suggests being an unusual case.
Opposites
poor leaderineffective leader
Word family
- lead verb
- To guide or be in charge of a group.
- leadership noun
- The quality of being a leader or the position of leading.
- leader noun
- A person who leads.
Commonly confused: exceptional leader or exceptional leadership?
exceptional leader vs exceptional leadership
'Exceptional leader' is a person; 'exceptional leadership' is the quality or skill. Do not mix them.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
'Exceptional' starts with a vowel sound, so we use 'an.' 'Exceptional leader' is countable, so it needs an article.
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