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
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 jury continued to indicate they could not come to a consensus, leading the judge to say he had no choice but to declare a mistrial.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
But leading the Cal has always been his dream.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
In an AFP interview earlier this week, Venice festival supremo Alberto Barbera acknowledged the dangers but he sounded more optimistic than other leading movie figures.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
During the four weeks leading up to Aug. 28, the U.S. was on average shipping 1.77 million barrels of diesel a day, according to the Energy Information Administration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Old Emma liked to keep her independence, so Lulu fixed up ropes leading from the house out to the shed, where she kept her loom, and another one from the shed out to the privy.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
