1
: coming or ranking first : foremost
2
: exercising leadership
3
: providing direction or guidance
a leading question
4
: given most prominent display
the leading story
plural leadings
1
: a covering or framework of lead
repaired the leading in the church's stained glass windows
2
typography
: the distance between a pair of adjacent lines in composed text
increased the leading after the header
a leading of 6 points
Examples of leading in a Sentence
Adjective
a leading topic of conversation
Their family played a leading part in the settlement of the town.
the leading role in a major Hollywood movie
a leading citizen of the town
She's one of the leading authorities on the stock market.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sara Schapiro, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Although many officials in China want the war to end, Beijing is unlikely to play a leading role in resolving the conflict and achieving a lasting peace in the region.
—Da Wei, Foreign Affairs, 29 July 2025
Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
While other leading labs have been criticized for delaying their safety disclosures, xAI appears to have skipped the process of disclosing a report entirely.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
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Adjective
Across the political spectrum, families agree that the federal government should play a leading role in helping schools identify effective practices and scale successful interventions.
—Sara Schapiro, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Although many officials in China want the war to end, Beijing is unlikely to play a leading role in resolving the conflict and achieving a lasting peace in the region.
—Da Wei, Foreign Affairs, 29 July 2025
Noun
Abbott's school voucher election fight over the fall was largely funded by Jeffrey Yass, a Pennsylvania billionaire and leading advocate for school choice issues.
—Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
While other leading labs have been criticized for delaying their safety disclosures, xAI appears to have skipped the process of disclosing a report entirely.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
Cite this Entry
“Leading.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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