leading

1
[ lee-ding ]
See synonyms for: leadingleadings on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. chief; principal; most important; foremost: a leading toy manufacturer.

  2. coming in advance of others; first: We rode in the leading car.

  1. directing, guiding.

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

Origin of leading

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (noun); lead1 + -ing2 for the adjective senses; lead1 + -ing1 for the noun sense

Other words for leading

Other words from leading

  • lead·ing·ly, adverb

Words Nearby leading

Other definitions for leading (2 of 2)

leading2
[ led-ing ]

noun
  1. a covering or framing of lead: the leading of a stained-glass window.

  2. Printing. lead2 (def. 7).

Origin of leading

2
First recorded in 1400–50; lead2 + -ing1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use leading in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for leading (1 of 2)

leading1

/ (ˈliːdɪŋ) /


adjective
  1. guiding, directing, or influencing

  2. (prenominal) principal or primary

  1. in the first position: the leading car in the procession

  2. 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

Derived forms of leading

  • leadingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for leading (2 of 2)

leading2

/ (ˈlɛdɪŋ) /


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

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