leading man

noun

: an actor who plays the leading male role

Examples of leading man in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
From 1935 to 1938, Temple was the biggest box office draw in the world, filling more seats in theaters than leading man Clark Gable and bona fide superstars like Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo. Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2025 Advertisement The two leading men remaining in DaCosta’s film, George Tesman and Judge Brack, are close to Ibsen’s versions, albeit with slight alterations. Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025 Just off the summer action hit Sahara, opposite his then girlfriend Penelope Cruz, and firmly in his romantic-comedy leading man prime after The Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, McConaughey served up easy southern charm and good vibes all day long. Elizabeth Leonard, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025 The pic reps a reteam between Kolstad, producer Marc Provissiero and Bob Odenkirk, who previously worked on the Nobody franchise; those movies propelled the two-time Emmy-winning Better Call Saul star to action leading man status. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leading man

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leading man was in 1827

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Cite this Entry

“Leading man.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading%20man. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

leading man

noun
: an actor who plays the leading male role in a play or movie

More from Merriam-Webster on leading man

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