Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

About the author: Matthew Jeffrey Vegari 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

How can we rush forward when leading scientists warn that AI poses an existential risk to the human race?

From The Wall Street Journal • 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

And then she’s back and leading us to a hiding place in the park where we’ll wait till night-time.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

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.