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
Robert Rapier, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
His performance in The Inheritance also earned him a Tony Award in 2021 for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play.
04 of 05
Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman
Ansu Kabia plays the Huntsman, who is the Evil Queen's servant in the original film.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Simon Romero, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2024
This year’s jury is also pretty impressive, with Luca Guadagnino leading and jurors like Jacob Elordi and Andrew Garfield.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leading 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
As technology continues to advance and costs decline, EGS has the potential to play a leading role in the global shift toward sustainable energy, providing solutions that meet both electricity and heating needs while combating climate change.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
His performance in The Inheritance also earned him a Tony Award in 2021 for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play.
04 of 05
Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman
Ansu Kabia plays the Huntsman, who is the Evil Queen's servant in the original film.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
Senior officials in her government and leading figures in Mexico’s governing party, Morena, also expressed support for retaliatory tariffs.
—Simon Romero, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2024
This year’s jury is also pretty impressive, with Luca Guadagnino leading and jurors like Jacob Elordi and Andrew Garfield.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leading
Dictionary Entries Near leading
Cite this Entry
“Leading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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