leading light

[lee-ding]

noun

1. an important or influential person.

   a leading light of the community.

leading light

/ ˈliːdɪŋ /

noun

1. an important or outstanding person, esp in an organization or cause

2. nautical a less common term for range light

Word History and Origins

Origin of leading light¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Idioms and Phrases

An important or influential individual, as in Jim was a leading light in his community. This expression, alluding to moral guidance, dates from about 1870, but terms such as a shining light have been used for an outstanding person since the first half of the 1500s.