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
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
Karen Cohn, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 July 2025
Already euthanasia has become the 5th leading cause of death north of our border.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 7 July 2025
Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Fast-food customer satisfaction rankings show Chick-fil-A leading for the 11th year.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
Drowning is the No. 1 killer of children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5 to 14.
—Karen Cohn, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 July 2025
Already euthanasia has become the 5th leading cause of death north of our border.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 7 July 2025
Noun
Brazil are both reigning and leading champions with eight continental titles under their belt and the highest player representation in the NWSL with five. 2022 runners-up Colombia are expected to pose a threat, while Venezuela continue to ascend.
—Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 7 July 2025
Fast-food customer satisfaction rankings show Chick-fil-A leading for the 11th year.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
Cite this Entry
“Leading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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