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definitions

leading light

[lee-ding]
See more synonyms for leading light on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an important or influential person: a leading light of the community.

Origin of leading light

First recorded in 1870–75
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for leading light

leader, luminary, sage, star, superstar
British Dictionary definitions for leading light

leading light

noun
  1. an important or outstanding person, esp in an organization or cause
  2. nautical a less common term for range light
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
Idioms and Phrases with leading light

leading light

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.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.