supreme leader

noun

The head of state and commander-in-chief of the entire armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the authority to dismiss the Iranian president. The Supreme Leader is also the highest-ranking spiritual leader in Iran.

Meanings

supreme leader1

nounsupreme leader (plural supreme leaders)

plural supreme leaders

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Supreme Leader.

Supreme Leader2

nounSupreme Leader (plural Supreme Leaders)

plural Supreme Leaders · alternative supreme leader

  1. governmentThe head of state and commander-in-chief of the entire armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the authority to dismiss the Iranian president. The Supreme Leader is also the highest-ranking spiritual leader in Iran.

    The conventional wisdom in Washington is that Iran’s elections are insignificant. Regardless of who wins, the argument goes, in the end, it’s the supreme leader who calls the shots.

    2021 June 22, Ali Vaez, Dina Esfandiary, “The Hard-Liners Won in Iran. That’s Not All Bad News.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
  2. governmentThe highest-ranking member of a country, who has absolute power.

    Our revolution, which has achieved victory over many decades, continuing into the new century, has welcomed the new Supreme Leader.

    2014, 39:40 from the start, in Secret State of North Korea, PBS, →ISBN, →OCLC
    1 more example

    Watched by hundreds of thousands of troops and civilians packed into Kim Il-sung Square—named after the regime's first leader, who died in 1994—Kim Jong-un watched from a balcony overlooking the plaza as he was declared “supreme leader” of the ruling Workers' party, military and people.

    2011 December 29, Justin McCurr, “Kim Jong-un declared ‘supreme leader’ in North Korea”, in The Guardian

Translations

Arabic المُرْشِد الأَعْلَى لِلْثَّوْرَة الإِسْلَامِيَّة, قَائِد الثَّوْرَة الْإِسْلَامِيَّة
  • المُرْشِد الأَعْلَى لِلْثَّوْرَة الإِسْلَامِيَّةhead of state of Iran
  • قَائِد الثَّوْرَة الْإِسْلَامِيَّةhead of state of Iran
Chinese Mandarin 最高領袖 /最高领袖, 精神領袖 /精神领袖
  • 最高領袖 /最高领袖 (zuìgāo lǐngxiù)head of state of Iran
  • 精神領袖 /精神领袖 (jīngshén lǐngxiù)head of state of Iran
  • 最高領導人 /最高领导人 (zuìgāo lǐngdǎorén)highest-ranking member who has absolute power
Danish religiøse leder
  • religiøse lederhead of state of Iran
Dutch hoogste leider
  • hoogste leiderhead of state of Iran
Esperanto supera gvidanto
  • supera gvidantohead of state of Iran
French Guide suprême, Chef Suprême
  • Guide suprêmehead of state of Iran
  • Chef Suprêmehighest-ranking member who has absolute power
German Oberster Rechtsgelehrter
  • Oberster Rechtsgelehrterhead of state of Iran
Greek ανώτατος ηγέτης
  • ανώτατος ηγέτης (anótatos igétis)head of state of Iran
Hebrew המנהיג העליון
  • המנהיג העליוןhead of state of Iran
Hindi रहबर-ए-इंक़िलाब
  • रहबर-ए-इंक़िलाब (rahbar-e-iṅqilāb)head of state of Iran
Indonesian pemimpin tertinggi
  • pemimpin tertinggihead of state of Iran
Italian Guida suprema
  • Guida supremahead of state of Iran
Japanese 最高指導者, 最高指導者
  • 最高指導者 (saikō shidōsha)head of state of Iran
  • 最高指導者 (saikō shidōsha)highest-ranking member who has absolute power
Malay Pemimpin Agung
  • Pemimpin Agunghead of state of Iran
Norwegian Øverste leder
  • Øverste lederhead of state of Iran
Persian ولی فقیه
  • ولی فقیه (vali-ye faqih)head of state of Iran
Polish Najwyższy Przywódca, Najwyższy Prawnik Muzułmański
  • Najwyższy Przywódcahead of state of Iran
  • Najwyższy Prawnik Muzułmańskihead of state of Iran
  • Najwyższy Przywódcahighest-ranking member who has absolute power
Portuguese líder supremo, Líder Supremo
  • líder supremohead of state of Iran
  • Líder Supremohead of state of Iran
Russian вы́сший руководи́тель
  • вы́сший руководи́тель (výsšij rukovodítelʹ)head of state of Iran
Urdu رہبر
  • رہبر (rahbar)head of state of Iran
Cite this entry
APA

supreme leader. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supreme%20leader

MLA

“supreme leader.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supreme%20leader. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “supreme leader,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/supreme%20leader.

Source: supreme leader on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.