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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share