Definition of leading
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
leading
noun
plural leadings
Definition of leading (Entry 2 of 2)
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
Test Your Vocabulary
Name That Food
-
- Name these cookies!

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share leading
Time Traveler for leading
The first known use of leading was in the 15th century
See more words from the same century