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lead·ing 1 (lēdĭng)
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adj.
1. Having a position in the lead; foremost: the leading runner in the race.
2. Chief; principal: the leading cause of high inflation. See Synonyms at chief.
3. Of or performing a principal role in a film, play, show, or other scripted production: a leading role.
4. Formulated so as to elicit a desired response: a leading question.
leading·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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