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 Moniuszko, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
This week, two leading contenders, Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie, escalated tensions by filing competing complaints against one another.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2026
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
When bumbling village policeman Derry (an endearing Nicholas Braun) dismisses any suspicion of foul play despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it’s left to the sheep to prove otherwise — despite no ability to converse with their human counterparts beyond Lassie-style leading and hinting.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leading
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Most leading health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, deny any link.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
This week, two leading contenders, Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie, escalated tensions by filing competing complaints against one another.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
One win away from clinching a spot in the next round, the Lakers have so far weathered the storm created when Reaves and leading scorer Luka Doncic both suffered injuries in the same game on April 2.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
When bumbling village policeman Derry (an endearing Nicholas Braun) dismisses any suspicion of foul play despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it’s left to the sheep to prove otherwise — despite no ability to converse with their human counterparts beyond Lassie-style leading and hinting.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
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 May. 2026.
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