lead ‧ er S2 W1 /ˈliːdə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : lead, ↑ leader , ↑ leadership ; adjective : lead, ↑ leading ; verb : ↑ lead ]
1 . IN CONTROL the person who directs or controls a group, organization, country etc ⇨ ruler
leader of
the leader of the local black community
party/union/government/opposition etc leader
political/military/religious leader
the largest ever gathering of world leaders (=people who are in charge of countries)
natural/born leader (=someone who naturally has all the qualities needed to be a leader)
His air of confidence makes him a natural leader.
2 . COMPETITION the person or group that is in front of all the others in a race or competition:
County Championship leaders of Hampshire
3 . PRODUCT/COMPANY the product or company that is the best or most successful
leader in
a world leader in defence and space electronics
These products are firmly established as the market leaders.
4 . NEWSPAPER British English a piece of writing in a newspaper giving the paper’s opinion on a subject SYN editorial :
The Times leader column
5 . MUSICIAN British English the main ↑ violin player in an ↑ orchestra SYN concertmaster American English
6 . MUSICAL DIRECTOR American English someone who directs the playing of a musical group SYN conductor British English
7 . TAPE technical the part at the beginning of a film or recording tape which has nothing on it
8 . BRANCH technical a long thin branch that grows from the stem of a bush or tree beyond other branches
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COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + leader
▪ a political leader
He became the country’s most influential political leader.
▪ a military leader
The country’s military leader had seized power in a coup.
▪ a religious/spiritual leader
The Pope is the Roman Catholics’ spiritual leader.
▪ a natural leader/a born leader (=someone who naturally has all the qualities needed to be a leader)
He has the confidence of a born leader.
▪ a strong/weak leader
She’s a strong leader and an intelligent woman.
▪ a good/effective leader
What characteristics make a good leader?
▪ a charismatic leader (=who people greatly admire and want to follow)
Martin Luther King, one of the most charismatic leaders of the Civil Rights movement
▪ a world leader (=someone who is in charge of a country)
The president and other world leaders are meeting to discuss the environment.
▪ a party leader
Brown was quickly chosen as the party leader.
▪ a government leader
He was the first EU government leader to visit the newly elected US President.
▪ an opposition leader
The opposition leader accused the government of not being able to control unemployment.
▪ the Conservative/Liberal Democrat/Socialist etc leader (=leader of a political party)
the Conservative leader, David Cameron
▪ a union/business leader
Business leaders welcomed a cut in the interest rate.
▪ a team/group/project etc leader
Ask your team leader for advice.
■ verbs
▪ choose a leader/choose somebody as leader
The party is meeting to choose a new leader.
▪ elect a leader/elect somebody as leader
He was elected leader of his country by a huge majority.
▪ appoint a leader (=officially announce that someone is leader)
Green was appointed deputy leader.
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THESAURUS
▪ leader the person who directs or controls a group, organization, country etc:
12,000 party members will vote next week to elect a new leader.
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leaders of developing nations from around the world
▪ ruler someone, such as a king or queen or a military leader, who has official power over a country or area:
Sheik Mohamed, ruler of Dubai
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Argentina’s former military rulers
▪ head of state someone who leads a country or state:
Twenty-one heads of state will meet at the annual World Trade summit.
▪ figurehead someone who is seen as the leader of a country or organization, although he or she does not have any real power:
the Queen’s role as a national figurehead
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There are advantages in having a respected personality as a figurehead for the organisation.
▪ ringleader someone who leads a group that is doing something illegal or wrong:
The alleged ringleaders of the gang have been arrested.
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the ringleaders of the airplane bomb plot