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
Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
The film, which stars Patel in the leading role of Kid, was set to begin filming in Mumbai in spring 2019.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leading 
Adjective
And the United States, which plays a leading role in setting the agenda for international cooperation on climate change, has become the world’s largest oil producer—producing even more than Saudi Arabia or Russia.
—Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
The film, which stars Patel in the leading role of Kid, was set to begin filming in Mumbai in spring 2019.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 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 May. 2024.
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