1
: coming or ranking first : foremost
2
: exercising leadership
3
: providing direction or guidance
a leading question
4
: given most prominent display
the leading story
plural leadings
1
: a covering or framework of lead
repaired the leading in the church's stained glass windows
2
typography
: the distance between a pair of adjacent lines in composed text
increased the leading after the header
a leading of 6 points
Synonyms
Adjective
Examples of leading in a Sentence
Adjective
a leading topic of conversation
Their family played a leading part in the settlement of the town.
the leading role in a major Hollywood movie
a leading citizen of the town
She's one of the leading authorities on the stock market.
Recent Examples on the Web
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 July 2024
The Federalist Society took a leading role in that judicial selection process, vetting candidates for Mr. McGahn (himself a member of the group’s board of directors).
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2024
Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024
So does former Ravens kicker Matt Stover — but we’re puzzled as to why one of the team’s all-time leading scorers appears in a Colts uniform.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for leading 
Adjective
In ‘Bergerac’ Damien Molony (The Split, Brassic, Crashing) has signed on to star in the leading role of Jim Bergerac in the six-part UKTV Original series Bergerac.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 July 2024
The Federalist Society took a leading role in that judicial selection process, vetting candidates for Mr. McGahn (himself a member of the group’s board of directors).
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2024
Noun
The Irish leading lady, 37, is learning a new hobby thanks to cast mate Luke Newton, who plays her love interest in the Regency-era Netflix series.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024
So does former Ravens kicker Matt Stover — but we’re puzzled as to why one of the team’s all-time leading scorers appears in a Colts uniform.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for leading
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leading.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near leading
Cite this Entry
“Leading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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