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Glite Dictionary
captain of the ship of state

captain of the ship of state

8.4
A person who guides and runs a country
  • idiom
  • Formal
translation icon : capitán del barco del estado
  • During the crisis, the prime minister acted as the captain of the ship of state, steering the country through uncertainty.

Examples

  • Many citizens expect their president to be a strong captain of the ship of state in times of change.

  • In times of crisis, the captain of the ship of state must act decisively.

  • He was often referred to as the captain of the ship of state during his years in office.

  • The president is the captain of the ship of state.

  • During the crisis, the prime minister acted as the captain of the ship of state, steering the country through uncertainty.

  • Many citizens expect their president to be a strong captain of the ship of state in times of change.

  • He was often referred to as the captain of the ship of state during his years in office.

Synonyms

leader
vscaptain of the ship of state
∞ 1.0

A person who guides and directs a group, organization, or country

is specifically about steering and governing a nation rather than any group
chief
vscaptain of the ship of state
∞ 1.9

A person who leads a group or community

focuses specifically on national leadership and governing responsibility
president
vscaptain of the ship of state
  • Formal
∞ 2.0

An elected leader of a country who runs the national government

can be similar but stresses personal responsibility for guiding national governance
ruler
vscaptain of the ship of state
153 2.1

A person who has power over a country or its people

emphasizes duty to guide national policy and government rather than general rule
head of state
vscaptain of the ship of state
  • Formal
49 3.5

A country's main public leader, like a president or king

includes representing but emphasizes governing responsibility for the nation
monarch
vscaptain of the ship of state
41 5.1

A king or queen who rules a country and usually gets the job by birth

shares national rule but stresses active responsibility for guiding government
commander-in-chief
vscaptain of the ship of state
  • Formal
23 4.6

The senior military officer who leads a country's armed forces

concerns overall national governance and guiding the nation beyond military command
national leader
vscaptain of the ship of state
12 3.5

A respected person who is the main political figure of a country

is about being responsible for guiding and governing the nation
chief of state
vscaptain of the ship of state
1 5.4

The main public representative of a country who may also lead the government

adds active responsibility for guiding and managing national government affairs

Antonyms

follower
295 1.6

A person who supports a leader and accepts their direction

How Powerful

dictator
218 4.2
head of state
  • Formal
49 3.5
captain of the ship of state
  • Formal
8.4
prime minister
216 2.3
local authority
  • UK
51 3.4

Surface Forms

captain of the ship of state singular
captains of the ship of state plural

Morphology

captain + of + the + ship + of + state

The phrase composes obvious constituents: 'captain' (leader) + 'ship' (vessel) + 'state' (nation) to create a straightforward metaphor meaning the person who leads or steers the nation. This ship-as-state metaphor and the possessive construction are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the component words will readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Captain of the ship of state uses a clear picture: imagine a captain steering a ship through a storm while the crew depends on them. So the phrase came to mean the leader who must 'guide' and 'protect' the country in hard times.