leading

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Most important, best, or most successful.

   He is a leading supplier of plumbing parts in the county.

2. 2
   adj

   Designed to guide someone toward a particular answer.

   Avoid leading questions if you really want the truth.

3. 3
   adj

   Coming before something else or pointing to what will happen.

   The stock market can be a leading economic indicator.

Common collocations

• leading company Adjective + noun
• leading figure Adjective + noun
• leading position Adjective + noun
• leading indicator Adjective + noun

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.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images