leading
1 Americanadjective
-
chief; principal; most important; foremost.
a leading toy manufacturer.
-
coming in advance of others; first.
We rode in the leading car.
-
directing, guiding.
- Synonyms:
- ruling
noun
adjective
-
guiding, directing, or influencing
-
(prenominal) principal or primary
-
in the first position
the leading car in the procession
-
maths (of a coefficient) associated with the term of highest degree in a polynomial containing one variable
in 5x² + 2x + 3, 5 is the leading coefficient
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of leading1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (noun); lead 1 ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; lead 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun sense
Origin of leading2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The findings were presented at the European Renal Association Congress in Glasgow, United Kingdom, and were simultaneously published in three leading medical journals: The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
Said dog may have been witness to a supernatural murder, leading the group of teens to set out to solve the case.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
In mitigation, the court heard Hussain was a "devoted father" who had no similar convictions and had been working diligently in the prison library, while Wadood was not a leading figure in the enterprise.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Intel stock surges Monday, leading the S&P 500 amid a broader rebound in semiconductor stocks.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
I admire that he got a PhD and became a professor, and now he’s a leading expert on literature from the Midwest.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
