top billing

noun

, Theater.

1. the first or most prominent position in a list of actors or entertainers, as on a marquee or screen.

Word History and Origins

Origin of top billing¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

He will be top billing at the party’s Welsh conference in Newport on Friday, just a day after flying home from the United States having supported Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign.

From BBC

So is the type of music we hear at festivals changing, and is it harder for newer bands to get top billing?

From BBC

She wants top billing in the dreams of her faithful.

From Salon

But in “Oh, Mary!,” it’s the first lady who gets top billing.

From New York Times

Yes, it got almost universally good reviews — The Times’ then-critic Howard Rosenberg called it the “series of the season” — but in several of those reviews “The Sopranos” didn’t even get top billing.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• celebrity
• eminence
• fame
• greatness
• importance
• prestige
• renown
• reputation
• standing