leading man

noun

: an actor who plays the leading male role

Examples of leading man in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It’s taken you 40 years to finally reach leading man status. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025 After the plays were written, Shakespeare teamed with actors to rehearse, such as leading man Richard Burbage and comic relief William Kempe, both part of the acting company Shakespeare belonged to, called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Jeffrey R. Wilson, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2025 The film made in-demand leading men out of Faist and O’Connor, which, as the Ankler’s Katey Rich reported in October, meant that the pair were busy filming for much of the season: Faist in New Zealand for Zoe Kazan’s East of Eden, O’Connor in Ohio on Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind. Nate Jones, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2025 The night will be hosted by Aldis Hodge—yes, the star and producer of Prime Video’s Cross and an actor who’s been steadily redefining Hollywood’s leading man archetype. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 28 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for leading man 

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leading man was in 1827

Dictionary Entries Near leading man

Cite this Entry

“Leading man.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading%20man. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

leading man

noun
: an actor who plays the leading male role in a play or movie

More from Merriam-Webster on leading man

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