Even people who don't believe in the Catholic church venerate the Pope as a symbolic leader.
Source: tatoeba (1940)
Leader
/ˈli.dɚ/
Synonyms for "leader" (475 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (95)
a per seaceaganalysisancestorannouncerantecedentarticlearticle of commercearticle of merchandiseattorney generalavant gardeavant-gardeband leaderband majorbandmasterbell cowbell marebellwetherbidet
Show 37 more words
big cheesebig gunbig wheelbig-timerbigwigbone of contentionborn leaderbossbrainbuccinatorbushwhackerbuttoncaptaincardcarriage horsecart horsecatechismcavalry horsechairchairmanchampioncharismatic leaderchiefchieftainchoirmasterchoragusciviliancockcommandantcommandercommentcommentarycommentationcommodityconductorcorporation lawyercoryphaeus
Adjective(2 words)
academic community leadersafrikaans gids
Noun(36 words)
activistadministratoradvancer roleagency directoralphaameeramiramirsanchormanarchdukesbellwethersbestbigwigscaciquecaliphcapocaptcaptainscaziqueceo
Show 16 more words
chairpersonschairwomancharioteerchiefchieferchiefschieftainsclassroom authority figureclemenceauclouterclub presidentcochisecommandercommanderscommunity leaderconservationist
Strong matches (143)
court-appointed lawyercriminal lawyercritical reviewcriticismcritiquecross questioncross-interrogatorycross-questiondadeandebating pointdefense counseldemanddignitarydirectordistrict attorneydoyendoyennedraft horsedray horse
Show 62 more words
driving horsedrugdrum majorduceeditorialeminenceescortexecutiveexplorerfastenerfeaturefeelerfigurefile leaderfill horsefillerforebearforebearsforegoerforemanforerunnerfront runnerfrontiersmanfuglemanfuhrergaffergeneralgeniusgigstergirthglossgroundbreakerguidehackhackneyharbingerheadheadmanheavyweightheraldhierarchhigh priesthigher uphigher-uphonchohunterimportant personinnovatorinquiryinspired leaderinterrogationinterrogativeinterrogatoryissueitemjumentjunior counselkapellmeisterkckingfishkingpinlacing
Noun(53 words)
creonczarinadirectordogedominant personalitydoyensdrawing cardelderemiremirsemperoremperorsethnarchexecfatherfigure the answerforeladyfounderfountainheadsfrontrunner
Show 33 more words
Verb(1 words)
guide a tour
Preposition(1 words)
in authority
Related words (237)
laureatelaw agentleadlead itemlead runnerleader of menleading articleleading cardleading questionlionloss leaderluminarymahdimain featuremanagermastermessengermessiahmoot pointmost
Show 118 more words
mountmouthpiecemugwumpnonpareilnotabilitynotablenoticenumber oneorchestra leaderpacemakerpacesetterpack horsepalfreyparagonpathfinderpersonagepillarpilotpioneerplow horsepointpoint at issuepoint in questionpole horsepolo ponypost-horseprecedentprecentorprecursorpredecessorprincipalprivate attorneyproblemprodigyproductprosecuting attorneyprosecutorprotagonistpublic prosecutorpublicistqcqueenqueryquestionquestion at issuequestion markquodlibetrectorremarkremountreportreviewriderriding horseringleaderroad horseroadsterrouncyrulerrunning commentarysaddle horsesaddlerscoutsecondsseniorshaft horsesilksilk gownskippersolicitor generalsomebodyspecialspecial pleadersscstalking horsestalking-horsestandard articlestandard bearerstandard-bearerstaplestaple itemstarstormy petrelstraw bossstringstuff gownstuff-gownsmansumptersumpter horsesuperintendentsuperiorsupermansuperstarsymphonic conductorthe greatestthe mostthill horsethillertop dogtopictorchbearertrailblazertrailbreakertrial balloonus attorneyvanguardvaunt-couriervendiblevexed questionvipvirtuosovoortrekkerwarewheelerwheelhorseworkhorsewrite upwrite-up
Noun(93 words)
lempiralombardiloss leadermagnatemagnatesmaharajamaimanmarshalmarshallmarshalsmasarykmassasoitmastermindmirabeaumistressmobutumonarchmonarchsmosesmost active
Show 73 more words
most advancedmost coordinatemost presidentialmutineernkrumahnonesuchofficerofficersordererorganizerosceolaoutshiningownerpacemakerspacesetterspashapatriarchsperson in chargephilanthropistphilanthropistspontiacpostillionpowerhousepresidentpresidentspresiding officerprime ministerquarterbacksrajahrasreformerringleadersrisen in statusrudderrulersachemsachemssagamorescoutmastershahshaikhshaikhsshakashapersheikhssheiksshepherdshepherdsskippersovereignspearheadspearheadsstalinstandoutstatesmanstatespersonsteerersupremotallchieftammanyteam leaderteam membertech pioneertech pioneerstoptop figuretop-tiertour guidetrendsettingtzarwovokayouth club memberzedong
Adjective(6 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: a per se, academic community leaders, ace, activist, administrator.
- Sentence evidence is available for leader, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "leader".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "leader"
Keep "leader" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "leader" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "leader", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "leader" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
10 entriesCollocations
6 entriescommunity leaderelected leadermilitary leadernational leaderpolitical leaderreligious leader
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesSample sentences
26 total sentences available.
The guild leader relegated Vince to a lesser officer because he was abusing his power.
Source: tatoeba (1974)
Everyone looked on me as a leader.
Source: tatoeba (22136)
They all looked up to him as their leader.
Source: tatoeba (22141)
Showing 4 of 26 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "leader"?
Closest matches include a per se, academic community leaders, ace, activist, administrator.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "leader"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.