noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈlidɚʃɪp/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈliːdəʃɪp/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:L IY1 D ER0 SH IH2 P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The capacity of someone to lead others.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
Wise, determined leadership matters most.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A group of leaders.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The office or status of a leader.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the activity of leading
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his leadership inspired the team
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: leading
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: activity
Narrower terms: helm, lead, trend setting
5
noun
Meaning 5
the ability to lead
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he believed that leadership can be taught
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: ability, power
Narrower terms: generalship
6
noun
Meaning 6
the body of people who lead a group
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the national leadership adopted his plan
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: leaders
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: body
Narrower terms: Rome, high command, supreme headquarters
7
noun
Meaning 7
the status of a leader
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
they challenged his leadership of the union
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: status, position
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *laidī Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Proto-West Germanic *laid ▲ Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Proto-West Germanic *laidijārī Old English lǣdere Middle English ledere English leader Proto-Germanic *skapjaną Proto-Germanic *-skapiz Proto-West Germanic *-skapi Old English -sċiepe Middle English -schipe English -ship English leadership From leader + -ship.
Across languages
Translations
104 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Amharic:
መሪነት
(märinät)
— capacity to lead
Arabic:
قِيَادَة
(qiyāda)
— capacity to lead
Armenian:
ղեկավարություն
(ġekavarutʻyun)
— capacity to lead
Azerbaijani:
rəhbərlik
— capacity to lead
Azerbaijani:
liderlik
— capacity to lead
Azerbaijani:
başçılıq
— capacity to lead
Belarusian:
лі́дарства
(lídarstva)
— capacity to lead
Bulgarian:
ли́дерство
(líderstvo)
— capacity to lead
Catalan:
lideratge
— capacity to lead
Chinese Mandarin:
領導能力 /领导能力
(lǐngdǎo nénglì)
— capacity to lead
Czech:
vůdcovství
— capacity to lead
Danish:
førerskab
— capacity to lead
Dutch:
voorzitterschap
— capacity to lead
Dutch:
leiderschap
— capacity to lead
Esperanto:
gvideco
— capacity to lead
Esperanto:
kondukemeco
— capacity to lead
Finnish:
johtajuus
— capacity to lead
French:
autorité
— capacity to lead
French:
charisme
— capacity to lead
French:
leadership
— capacity to lead
Georgian:
წინამძღვრობა
(c̣inamʒɣvroba)
— capacity to lead
Georgian:
ლიდერობა
(lideroba)
— capacity to lead
Georgian:
ხელმძღვანელობა
(xelmʒɣvaneloba)
— capacity to lead
Georgian:
მეთაურობა
(metauroba)
— capacity to lead
German:
Führung
— capacity to lead
German:
Leitung
— capacity to lead
Hungarian:
vezetői képesség
— capacity to lead
Indonesian:
kepemimpinan
— capacity to lead
Italian:
leadership
— capacity to lead
Italian:
carisma
— capacity to lead
Italian:
autorità
— capacity to lead
Japanese:
リーダーシップ
(rīdāshippu)
— capacity to lead
Japanese:
指導力
(shidōryoku)
— capacity to lead
Kazakh:
қолбасылық
(qolbasylyq)
— capacity to lead
Kazakh:
қолбасшылық
(qolbasşylyq)
— capacity to lead
Kazakh:
лидерлік
(liderlık)
— capacity to lead
Korean:
지도력
(jidoryeok)
— capacity to lead
Korean:
리더십
(rideosip)
— capacity to lead
Central Kurdish:
سەرکردەیی
(serkirdeyî)
— capacity to lead
Kyrgyz:
лидерлик
(liderlik)
— capacity to lead
Kyrgyz:
лидерчилик
(lidercilik)
— capacity to lead
Kyrgyz:
башчылык
(başcılık)
— capacity to lead
Kyrgyz:
баштоочулук
(baştooculuk)
— capacity to lead
Macedonian:
водство
(vodstvo)
— capacity to lead
Malay:
kepimpinan
— capacity to lead
Māori:
hautūtanga
— capacity to lead
Mongolian:
манлайлал
(manlajlal)
— capacity to lead
Norwegian Bokmål:
ledelse
— capacity to lead
Old English:
lādtēowdōm
— capacity to lead
Persian:
رهبری
(rahbari)
— capacity to lead
Persian:
سروری
(sarvari)
— capacity to lead
Persian:
ریاست
(riyâsat)
— capacity to lead
Polish:
przywództwo
— capacity to lead
Portuguese:
liderança
— capacity to lead
Russian:
ли́дерство
(líderstvo)
— capacity to lead
Serbo-Croatian:
во̀дство
— capacity to lead
Serbo-Croatian:
vòdstvo
— capacity to lead
Slovak:
vodcovstvo
— capacity to lead
Slovene:
vodstvo
— capacity to lead
Spanish:
liderazgo
— capacity to lead
Spanish:
liderato
— capacity to lead
Swahili:
uongozi
— capacity to lead
Swedish:
ledarskap
— capacity to lead
Tajik:
роҳбарӣ
(rohbari)
— capacity to lead
Tajik:
сарварӣ
(sarvari)
— capacity to lead
Tajik:
раёсат
(rayosat)
— capacity to lead
Telugu:
నాయకత్వం
(nāyakatvaṁ)
— capacity to lead
Thai:
ความเป็นผู้นํา
(kwaam-bpen-pûu-nam)
— capacity to lead
Turkish:
liderlik
— capacity to lead
Ukrainian:
лі́дерство
(líderstvo)
— capacity to lead
Uyghur:
رەھبەرلىك
(rehberlik)
— capacity to lead
Uzbek:
liderlik
— capacity to lead
Uzbek:
rahbarlik
— capacity to lead
Vietnamese:
khả năng lãnh đạo
— capacity to lead
Welsh:
arweiniad
— capacity to lead
Belarusian:
кіраўні́цтва
(kirawníctva)
— group of leaders
Bulgarian:
ръково́дство
(rǎkovódstvo)
— group of leaders
Catalan:
direcció
— group of leaders
Catalan:
comandament
— group of leaders
Italian:
direzione
— group of leaders
Macedonian:
раководство
(rakovodstvo)
— group of leaders
Malayalam:
നേതൃത്വം
(nētr̥tvaṁ)
— group of leaders
Polish:
kierownictwo
— group of leaders
Russian:
руково́дство
(rukovódstvo)
— group of leaders
Spanish:
jefatura
— group of leaders
Spanish:
directiva
— group of leaders
Ukrainian:
керівни́цтво
(kerivnýctvo)
— group of leaders
Basque:
buruzagitza
— office of leader
Basque:
buzagitza
— office of leader
Catalan:
direcció
— office of leader
Catalan:
prefectura
— office of leader
Dutch:
voorzitterschap
— office of leader
Esperanto:
komando
— office of leader
Finnish:
johto
— office of leader
French:
direction
— office of leader
Galician:
xefatura
— office of leader
Georgian:
ხელმძღვანელობა
(xelmʒɣvaneloba)
— office of leader
Hebrew:
רָאשׁוּת
— office of leader
Latin:
ductus
— office of leader
Macedonian:
раководство
(rakovodstvo)
— office of leader
Polish:
przywództwo
— office of leader
Russian:
руково́дство
(rukovódstvo)
— office of leader
Spanish:
jefatura
— office of leader
Ukrainian:
керівни́цтво
(kerivnýctvo)
— office of leader