What does "leading" mean?

1. (most important or successful) being the most important, successful, or famous in a particular group or field. 2. (providing guidance) giving direction or showing the way to others. 3. (in the front) being at the front of a group or moving ahead of others. 4. (line spacing) the amount of space between lines of printed text. 5. (guidance) the act of being led or guided by someone or something.

How do you use "leading"?

In modern digital design, this is often referred to as line height.

leading

adj. · n.

US //ˈɫidɪŋ// lead·ing

1 most important or successful (adj.)
B1 Intermediate

being the most important, successful, or famous in a particular group or field.

occupying the first or most prominent position in a hierarchy, field, or competition.

Example

She is a leading expert in the study of ancient languages.

Example

The company maintained its position as the leading manufacturer of renewable energy components despite increased competition from overseas markets.
- minor
- secondary
2 providing guidance (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

giving direction or showing the way to others.

serving to guide, direct, or influence the path or behavior of others.

Example

The teacher asked a leading question to help the student find the answer.

Example

The judge cautioned the lawyer against asking leading questions that suggested the desired answer to the witness.
- guiding
- directing

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3 in the front (adj.)
B1 Intermediate

being at the front of a group or moving ahead of others.

positioned at the front or occurring in advance of others in a sequence.

Example

The leading runner was far ahead of the rest of the group.

Example

The leading car in the convoy had to slow down to allow the heavy trucks behind it to catch up on the steep hill.
- trailing
- following
4 line spacing (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

the amount of space between lines of printed text.

the vertical distance between the baselines of successive lines of type. Pronounced to rhyme with 'bedding'.

Example

You should increase the leading to make the long paragraph easier to read.

Example

The graphic designer adjusted the leading and kerning to ensure the movie poster was legible from a distance.

Usage

In modern digital design, this is often referred to as line height.
- spacing
- interlineation
5 guidance (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

the act of being led or guided by someone or something.

the action or instance of providing guidance or leadership.

Example

Under his leading, the small team managed to finish the project on time.

Example

The community looked for spiritual leading during the crisis, hoping for a clear path forward.

Etymology 1

From Middle English ledinge, ledynge, ledand, ledande, ledende, from Old English lǣdende, from Proto-West Germanic laidijandī, from Proto-Germanic laidijandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *laidijaną (“to lead”), equivalent to lead + -ing. Compare West Frisian liedend, Dutch leidend, German leitend, Swedish ledande, Icelandic leiðandi.

Etymology 2

From Middle English leding, ledyng, ledinge, ledunge, equivalent to lead + -ing. Cognate with Dutch leiding (“conduit, leading, guidance, leadership”), German Leitung (“line, conduit, cable”).

Etymology 3

From Middle English leedynge, equivalent to lead (chemical element) + -ing; so named because in metal typesetting (letterpress and hot metal typesetting), pieces of lead (slugs, strips, blocks, etc) were often the mechanical means of producing the gap.

Idioms2 entries