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
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 18 July 2025
Intelsat has been playing a leading role in both of these globe-changing breakthroughs, with its colossal cutting-edge satellites beaming broadband internet connections to expanding waves of users across the planet, including hotspots that have been decimated by armed conflicts.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 15 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.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Before Emmy nominee Harris Yulin died on June 10, he had been cast in a leading role in MGM+‘s upcoming comedy series American Classic, starring opposite Kevin Kline, Jon Tenney, and Laura Linney.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 18 July 2025
Intelsat has been playing a leading role in both of these globe-changing breakthroughs, with its colossal cutting-edge satellites beaming broadband internet connections to expanding waves of users across the planet, including hotspots that have been decimated by armed conflicts.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 15 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 22 Jul. 2025.
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