Word Meanings - LEADING - Book Publishers vocabulary database

Guiding; directing; controlling; foremost; as, a leading motive; a leading man; a leading example. -- Lead"ing*ly, adv. Leading case , a reported decision which has come to be regarded as settling the law of the question involved. Abbott.

Additional info about word: LEADING

Guiding; directing; controlling; foremost; as, a leading motive; a leading man; a leading example. -- Lead"ing*ly, adv. Leading case , a reported decision which has come to be regarded as settling the law of the question involved. Abbott. -- Leading motive Etym: , a guiding theme; in the modern music drama of Wagner, a marked melodic phrase or short passage which always accompanies the reappearance of a certain person, situation, abstract idea, or allusion in the course of the play; a sort of musical label. -- Leading note , the seventh note or tone in the ascending major scale; the sensible note. -- Leading question, a question so framed as to guide the person questioned in making his reply. -- Leading strings, strings by which children are supported when beginning to walk. -- To be in leading strings, to be in a state of infancy or dependence, or under the guidance of others. -- Leading wheel, a wheel situated before the driving wheels of a locomotive engine.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of LEADING)

• Essential
• Innate
• inherent
• requisite
• necessary
• vital
• immanent
• indispensable
• leading
• First
• Leading
• primary
• pristine
• original
• foremost
• primitive
• principal
• primeval
• highest
• chief
• earliest
• Important
• Significant
• expressive
• relevant
• main
• considerable
• great
• dignified
• influential
• weighty
• momentous
• material
• grave
• essential
• Introduction
• Induction
• importation
• taking
• presentation
• insertion
• commencement
• preliminary
• preface
• initiative
• portico
• vestibule
• entrance
• gate
• preamble
• prelude
• plain
• Bulk
• majority
• body
• trunk
• most important
• first

Related words: (words related to LEADING)

• PRINCIPALNESS
  The quality of being principal.
• PRELUDE
  An introductory performance, preceding and preparing for the principal matter; a preliminary part, movement, strain, etc.; especially , a strain introducing the theme or chief subject; a movement introductory to a fugue, yet independent; -- with
• CHIEFLESS
  Without a chief or leader.
• FOREMOST
  First in time or place; most advanced; chief in rank or dignity; as, the foremost troops of an army. THat struck the foremost man of all this world. Shak. (more info) superl. of forma first, which is a superl. fr. fore fore; cf. Goth. frumist,
• GRAVES
  The sediment of melted tallow. Same as Greaves.
• TRUNKED
  Having a trunk. Thickset with strong and well-trunked trees. Howell.
• INDISPENSABLENESS
  The state or quality of being indispensable, or absolutely necessary. S. Clarke.
• GRAVEDIGGER
  See T (more info) 1. A digger of graves.
• PRINCIPALITY
  preëminence, excellence: cf. F. principalité, principauté. See 1. Sovereignty; supreme power; hence, superiority; predominance; high, or the highest, station. Sir P. Sidney. Your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.
• PRELUDER
  One who, or that which, preludes; one who plays a prelude. Mason.
• LEADING EDGE
  same as Advancing edge, above.
• FIRST
  Sw. & Dan. förste, OHG. furist, G. fürst prince; a superlatiye form 1. Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest; as, the first day of a month; the first year of a reign. 2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of,
• TAKING
  1. Apt to take; alluring; attracting. Subtile in making his temptations most taking. Fuller. 2. Infectious; contageous. Beau. & Fl. -- Tak"ing*ly, adv. -- Tak"ing*ness, n.
• PRIMITIVENESS
  The quality or state of being primitive; conformity to primitive style or practice.
• GREAT-HEARTED
  1. High-spirited; fearless. Clarendon. 2. Generous; magnanimous; noble.
• PRIMEVALLY
  In a primeval manner; in or from the earliest times; originally. Darwin.
• GREAT-GRANDFATHER
  The father of one's grandfather or grandmother.
• NECESSARY
  1. Such as must be; impossible to be otherwise; not to be avoided; inevitable. Death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come. Shak. 2. Impossible to be otherwise, or to be dispensed with, without preventing the attainment of a desired result;
• PLAINTIVE
  1. Repining; complaining; lamenting. Dryden. 2. Expressive of sorrow or melancholy; mournful; sad. "The most plaintive ditty." Landor. -- Plain"tive*ly, adv. -- Plain"tive*ness, n.
• TRUNKFUL
  As much as a trunk will hold; enough to fill a trunk.
• PREREQUISITE
  Previously required; necessary as a preliminary to any proposed effect or end; as, prerequisite conditions of success.
• STERNFOREMOST
  With the stern, instead of the bow, in advance; hence, figuratively, in an awkward, blundering manner. A fatal genius for going sternforemost. Lowell.
• INGREAT
  To make great; to enlarge; to magnify. Fotherby.
• UNMISTAKABLE
  Incapable of being mistaken or misunderstood; clear; plain; obvious; evident. -- Un`mis*tak"a*bly, adv.
• ABORIGINALLY
  Primarily.
• POT LEAD
  Graphite, or black lead, often used on the bottoms of racing vessels to diminish friction.
• LEAVE-TAKING
  Taking of leave; parting compliments. Shak.