leading

CEFRB2

/ˈliːdɪŋ/

adjective · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Most important or successful among others.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Going first or showing the way.

Examples

  • The future of English seems to be leading in three directions.

  • The report was compiled by Germany's five leading economic research institutes.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • /ˈlɛdɪŋ/
  • /ˈlidɪŋ/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings
  1. Providing guidance or direction.

  2. Ranking first.

verb

Extra meaning
  1. present participle and gerund of lead

More examples

In context
  • The staircase leading to the rooftop is narrow, steep, and dark.

  • Avoid leading questions if you really want the truth.

  • He is a leading supplier of plumbing supplies in the county.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Heart disease is the blank cause of death in the United States.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

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.