leaderless

L1E1A1D2E1R1L1E1S1S1

adjective

Without a person providing direction.

OriginProto-Germanic *lausaz ← Proto-Indo-European *lewHs- ← English leader →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

adjectiveleaderless (comparative more leaderless, superlative most leaderless)

comparative more leaderless · superlative most leaderless

  1. Without a person providing direction.

    But doing nothing is not an option. Our railway has been drifting, leaderless, for a couple of years. Sunak should also ponder as he panders.

    2023 May 31, Nigel Harris, “GBR now! We have no Plan B”, in RAIL, number 984, page 3
  2. Without a thing serving as leader.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
acephalicacephalousheadless

Origin

  1. Proto-West Germanic*laidī
  2. Proto-West Germanic*laid
  3. Proto-West Germanic*laidijārī
  4. Old Englishlǣdere
  5. Middle Englishledere
  6. Englishleader
  7. Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
  9. Proto-Germanic*leusaną
  10. Proto-Germanic*lausaz
  11. Englishleaderless

From leader + -less.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German führungslos, führungslos
  • führungsloswithout a person providing direction
  • führungsloswithout a thing serving as leader
Spanish acéfalo, descabezado
  • acéfalowithout a person providing direction
  • descabezadowithout a person providing direction
Vietnamese không có lãnh đạo
  • không có lãnh đạowithout a person providing direction
Cite this entry
APA

leaderless. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leaderless

MLA

“leaderless.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leaderless. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leaderless,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leaderless.

Source: leaderless on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.