leading
1 Americanadjective
-
chief; principal; most important; foremost.
a leading toy manufacturer.
-
coming in advance of others; first.
We rode in the leading car.
-
directing, guiding.
- Synonyms:
- ruling
noun
adjective
-
guiding, directing, or influencing
-
(prenominal) principal or primary
-
in the first position
the leading car in the procession
-
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
noun
Other Word Forms
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
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.
It never made any sense to have your top home run and RBI hitter leading off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
He started as an engineer and rose through the ranks, eventually leading several divisions before taking over and designing the company’s breakup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Sutton became one of the UK's most high-profile detectives in the 2000s, leading the investigation to catch serial killer Levi Bellfield, who murdered Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Dell Technologies and HPE stocks are leading the S&P 500 higher as Oracle’s massive spending plans reinforce optimism about demand for AI data-center hardware.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Just before Christmas, London’s leading spiritual periodical published an article, “Mediumship of a Baby.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
