leading lady

noun

: an actress who plays the leading female role

Examples of leading lady in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In addition to receiving the most Golden Globes nominations for a film, the singing and dancing showcase has quickly become an Oscars front-runner, thanks in large part to the honors being piled on leading lady Karla Sofía Gascón. Elaina Patton, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024 Plus, the project’s leading ladies are already drawing in major awards recognition. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 Dec. 2024 Emulating the leading ladies with perky pinky garb like Grande, who plays Glinda, and green-tinged skin like Erivo, who stars as Elphaba, are the more obvious options to dress for the occasion. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024 Throughout the film’s promotional tour, the leading ladies have embraced this trend, with Grande in pink and Erivo in green or black ensembles. Julia Teti, WWD, 18 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for leading lady 

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leading lady was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near leading lady

Cite this Entry

“Leading lady.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leading%20lady. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

leading lady

noun
: an actress who plays the leading female role in a play or movie

More from Merriam-Webster on leading lady

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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