Meaning & use
leader
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who directs a group, organization, or country and whom others follow.
Grammar: Often followed by of: the leader of the team.
Patterns
- the leader of something
- a leader in something
The leader of the expedition checked every tent before nightfall.
She became a respected leader in the local community.
World leaders met to discuss the climate crisis.
nouncountable
The person, team, or thing that is ahead of the others in a race or competition.
Grammar: Often used in sport and business: the leader in sales.
Patterns
- the leader in something
The leader crossed the line two minutes ahead of the pack.
The company is a global leader in solar technology.
The team is now the league leader after four wins.
nouncountableBritish
A main article in a newspaper that gives the editor's opinion.
Grammar: Mainly British; Americans say editorial.
The leader in today's paper criticizes the new transport policy.
He wrote a short leader about the election result.
The newspaper's leader called for reform.
Word forms
| plural | leaders |
|---|
Common combinations
- natural leader
- Mia is a natural leader who encourages everyone to speak.
- team leader
- The team leader assigned the tasks for the week.
- market leader
- The firm is the market leader in electric bikes.
- political leader
- Political leaders agreed to extend the ceasefire.
- follow the leader
- The children played follow the leader across the playground.
Synonyms and how they differ
- head
- Head names a position at the top of an organization, while leader suggests influence over people.
- chief
- Chief is informal for a boss and implies top rank, while leader can describe someone with no official title.
- captain
- Captain is used for a team or ship and points to a specific role.
- director
- Director refers to someone who manages or oversees an organization, not necessarily someone people follow.
Opposites
Word family
- lead verb
- to guide or be in front
- leadership noun
- the position or skill of being a leader
- leading adjective
- most important or in front
- leaderless adjective
- without a leader
Commonly confused: leader or manager?
leader vs manager
A manager organizes work and resources in a business, while a leader inspires others and may have no formal role.
Practice
Which sentence uses leader in the sense of someone ahead in a competition?
Choose one answer.
Only the golfer is described as the person in front during a contest. The other options refer to a group director, an editorial, or a guide.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “leader”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.