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.
The 28-year-old actress was cast as Lucy Albright in Tell Me Lies and found herself on a Zoom chemistry read with not only her future leading man costar but also her future boyfriend, Jackson White. Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025 The nine-bedroom, 15-bath Brentwood property was once owned by Taylor, one of the most famous leading men of his era with a film, television, and singing career that lasted from the ‘30s through the ‘60s. Partner Content, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025 And then to have that come from a leading man type. H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025 To one generation, Ben Stiller is the leading man in all those Meet the Parents movies and the director and executive producer of Severance. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 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 6 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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