Added 1 October 2026 ringleader /ˈɹɪŋˌliːdəɹ/ noun Categories: PeopleRare Words In Latin: concitor Wiktionary noun ! Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ringleader at Wordnik → Where our words come from → A leader of a group of people, especially an unofficial group. 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. Origin From ring + leader. From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA) Related Words: chiefleadershipchieftainleaderfront-runnercheerleaderheadchefleadbandleaderracketeer Back to today's word