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
Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
The Substance Nominations: Best actress in a leading role (Demi Moore), best director (Coralie Fargeat), best makeup and hairstyling, best picture, best original screenplay
How to watch: Stream on Mubi, Apple TV, or Prime Video.
—Vogue, 24 Feb. 2025
Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 14 Feb. 2025
Listen to this article The Yankees and Mets made major changes this winter, but if one leading model’s projections are correct, both teams will finish the 2025 regular season in similar positions as last year.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2025
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
On Monday, Trump hosted Macron at the White House, where Trump emphasized the need for European nations to take a leading role in ensuring Ukraine's security and suggested that Russia would accept the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in the region.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
The Substance Nominations: Best actress in a leading role (Demi Moore), best director (Coralie Fargeat), best makeup and hairstyling, best picture, best original screenplay
How to watch: Stream on Mubi, Apple TV, or Prime Video.
—Vogue, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
For those who are Captain America fans, this movie does not disappoint and provides many unique forms of representation: strong women in positions of power, positive male friendships and mentorship, as well as an ethnically diverse leading and co-starring cast.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 14 Feb. 2025
Listen to this article The Yankees and Mets made major changes this winter, but if one leading model’s projections are correct, both teams will finish the 2025 regular season in similar positions as last year.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 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 6 Mar. 2025.
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