leading man

noun

: an actor who plays the leading male role

Examples of leading man in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On the verge of losing a series to the last-place Colorado Rockies and bringing the second-place San Diego Padres to town just two games back, the Dodgers’ leading men stepped up. Bill Plunkett, Orange County Register, 22 Sep. 2024 The British actor continues his run of extreme character choices while still employing his leading man charms and swagger as the fiercest weapons in Ritter's arsenal. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2024 Schauer joked with The New York Times about his experiences being surrounded by Hollywood's leading men. Avalon Hester, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2024 Shōgun Stars Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada Sweep the Lead Drama Actor and Actress Categories 5 hr 3 min ago Shōgun's leading man and leading lady are Emmy winners. Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for leading man 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leading man.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leading man was in 1827

Dictionary Entries Near leading man

Cite this Entry

“Leading man.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading%20man. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

leading man

noun
: an actor who plays the leading male role in a play or movie

More from Merriam-Webster on leading man

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