Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🪶 A tribal chief 🏛️ A political leader
sachem

sachem

9.9
A political leader in New York who belonged to Tammany Hall
  • noun
  • /ˈseɪkəm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : sachem
  • Dupine pushed back his chair and headed for the New York History room, where he learned that Sickles, the attorney, was definitely big-time, a sachem in Tammany Hall, a state senator.

Examples

  • Charles Francis Murphy, the sachem of Tammany Hall, played a crucial role in New York City's politics.

  • During the meeting, the sachem of the Tammany Hall organization outlined the party's strategy for the upcoming election.

  • At his trial in 2010 Krenwinkel told police about the cult Sachem...

    The Amityville Asylum (2013)

  • Sadie Krenwinkel, accused of murder and cultist Sachem...

    The Amityville Asylum (2013)

  • As a respected sachem in Tammany Hall, he wielded significant influence over political decisions in New York.

Synonyms

chief
vssachem
∞ 1.9

A person who leads a group or community

refers to a local political machine leader rather than any top authority
civic leader
vssachem
6 3.5

A person who helps make decisions and organize services for a city

is a political party leader in the city rather than a civic figure
city father
vssachem
  • Literature
3 7.8

A respected local leader who is often a city council member

is a political party boss rather than an elected municipal officer
civil leader
vssachem
3.6

A person who leads a city or local community and helps run public services

is a partisan local political boss rather than a general city official

How Powerful

sachem
  • Archaic
9.9
leader
∞ 1.0
supporter
817 1.0

Surface Forms

sachem singular
sachems plural

Etymology

Sachem was later used in New York to name a local leader or boss, especially in groups like Tammany Hall, because the word already meant 'leader'. So, a political sachem was a powerful person who led and controlled a group.