ringleader C2 Topic:Crime & Justice US /ˈɹɪŋˌliːdəɹ/ See IPA manual Freq #23972 Meanings 1 noun a person who leads (especially in illicit activities) The ringleader urged the crowd toward the gate. 2 noun A leader of a group of people, especially an unofficial group. Once, on a confident whim, I approached the group of popular girls in an attempt to broaden my circle. Their ringleader took one glance at my new Aeropostale T-shirt and whispered to her clones, “Yeah, Aero's definitely out now.” 3 noun A person who starts and leads a disturbance (such as a riot), a conspiracy, or a criminal gang. The police arrested the ringleaders of the smuggling operation. Thesaurus Word family Forms ringleaders Derived forms ringleadership Etymology From ring + leader. Topics Crime & Justice External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # ringleader **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈɹɪŋˌliːdəɹ/ **Frequency rank:** 23972 ## Meanings 1. a person who leads (especially in illicit activities) 2. A leader of a group of people, especially an unofficial group. 3. A person who starts and leads a disturbance (such as a riot), a conspiracy, or a criminal gang. ## Examples - The ringleader urged the crowd toward the gate. - Once, on a confident whim, I approached the group of popular girls in an attempt to broaden my circle. Their ringleader took one glance at my new Aeropostale T-shirt and whispered to her clones, “Yeah, Aero's definitely out now.” - The police arrested the ringleaders of the smuggling operation. ## Derived Forms - ringleadership ## Etymology From ring + leader. ## Topics - Crime & Justice markdown