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Synonyms

leading

1 American  
[lee-ding] / ˈli dɪŋ /

adjective

  1. chief; principal; most important; foremost.

    a leading toy manufacturer.

  2. coming in advance of others; first.

    We rode in the leading car.

  3. directing, guiding.

    Synonyms:
    ruling

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that leads.

leading 2 American  
[led-ing] / ˈlɛd ɪŋ /

noun

  1. a covering or framing of lead.

    the leading of a stained-glass window.

  2. Printing. lead.

leading 1 British  
/ ˈliːdɪŋ /

adjective

  1. guiding, directing, or influencing

  2. (prenominal) principal or primary

  3. in the first position

    the leading car in the procession

  4. 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
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
leading 2 British  
/ ˈlɛdɪŋ /

noun

  1. Also called: interlinear spacing.  printing the spacing between lines of photocomposed or digitized type

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • leadingly adverb

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

First recorded in 1400–50; lead 2 + -ing 1

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.

Unitree, one of the leading makers of both full robots and robot parts, seeks to raise around $610 million in an initial public offering in Shanghai set for this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

About the author: is head of research at Clearwater Analytics, a leading technology platform for investment management.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

The Lancers were particularly excited because Champlin taunted them after saving Wednesday’s 4-1 win, leading to shoving and pushing after the game.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Measurements showed an energy use of about 1.4 nanojoules per bit, roughly half that of leading Wi-Fi technologies under similar conditions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

Meanwhile, he continued finding weak spots in the border and leading people under the wire.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

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.