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
Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
In 1957, Rakoff took a chance on an unknown extra and gave Connery his first leading role in Requiem for a Heavyweight.
—Esther Kang, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Tyler Small, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
For those looking to elevate their performance, a coach provides insight on innovation, problem-solving and leading teams more effectively.
—Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leading 
Adjective
Erin Buchanan, chair of the Avery County Republican Party, played a leading role in county relief efforts, working with her husband to convert their Spear Country Store into a hub offering hot meals, WiFi, fresh milk, laundry services, hot showers, even free haircuts.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
In 1957, Rakoff took a chance on an unknown extra and gave Connery his first leading role in Requiem for a Heavyweight.
—Esther Kang, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
Riley Greene concluded his pole-to-pole leading of the team’s offense with a .838 OPS in the last 30 games.
—Tyler Small, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
For those looking to elevate their performance, a coach provides insight on innovation, problem-solving and leading teams more effectively.
—Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 19 Sep. 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 3 Nov. 2024.
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