1. A military commander or leader of a Cossack community, especially in Poland, Ukraine, or Russia during the 16th–18th centuries.
Usage: historical; often capitalized when referring to a specific titled official

Examples

• The hetman led the Cossack forces against the invading army.
• Bohdan Khmelnytsky was a famous hetman of Ukraine in the 17th century.
• The hetman's authority extended over both military and civil matters in the region.
• Polish kings appointed hetmans to command their cavalry units.
• The hetman negotiated peace treaties on behalf of his people.