headman
Village's top authority
A headman is the leader or chief of a village, tribe, or small community.
The term appears most often in anthropological contexts or descriptions of traditional societies where authority rests with a single male figure: The headman settled disputes among the villagers.
In some industrial settings, headman means foreman or supervisor.
Top-ranking leader
- chieftainLeader of a tribe
- elderSenior figure of authority
- villageSmall rural community
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
tribe · sachem · cacique · patriarch · council · customs · kinship · lineage
One who guides others
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
- controlAuthority to direct
oversight · administration · supervision · rule · hierarchy · dominance · power · influence
Worker who directs others
- crewWorking team aboard
- gangOrganized criminal group
- workersPeople doing jobs
- supervisorOne who directs workers
overseer · site · construction · plantation · mine · labor · workforce · taskmaster
Person who manages operations
- appointedAssigned to office
- districtBounded administrative area
- nativeOriginating from a place
- colonialOf occupied territories
British · Raj · intermediary · official · bureaucracy · jurisdiction · subordinate · representative
chief
Top-ranking leader
clan · tribe · sachem · cacique · patriarch · council · customs · kinship · lineage · traditions
leader
One who guides others
- governanceHow authority is exercised
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- jurisdictionLegal authority's scope
control · oversight · administration · supervision · rule · hierarchy · dominance · power · influence · delegation
foreman
Worker who directs others
supervisor · overseer · site · construction · plantation · mine · labor · workforce · taskmaster · contractor
administrator
Person who manages operations
colonial · British · Raj · intermediary · official · bureaucracy · jurisdiction · subordinate · representative
- bossesboss, bossman, manager, supervisor, foreman
- community leadersheadwoman, civic leader, community organizer, council member, councilman
- local officialsmayor, city mayor, alderman, council member, councilman
- officialsofficial, officials, bailiff, bureaucrat, congressman
- overseersoverseer, supervisor, superintendent, monitor, foreman
- village lifevillage, hamlet, thatched roofs, chalet, folk tales