1. lacking a head or a leader; without a chief or central authority
Usage: formal; often used in political or organizational contexts
2. in biology, lacking a distinct head or head region
Usage: technical; used in zoology and anatomy
3. in poetry, lacking a stressed syllable at the beginning of a line
Usage: technical; used in prosody and literary analysis

Examples

• The acephalous organization struggled to make decisions without a clear leader.
• Some acephalous creatures like jellyfish have no brain or head structure.
• The protest movement remained acephalous, with no single spokesperson.
• Acephalous insects such as certain larvae lack a defined head region.
• The acephalous line in the poem created an unusual rhythmic effect.