leading lady

[ lee-ding ]

noun

1. an actress who plays the principal female role in a motion picture or play.

Word History and Origins

Origin of leading lady¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

I ask how it feels to be an in-demand leading lady.

From BBC

It all percolates in the shadowy urban allure of Paul Guilhaume’s cinematography, especially as it plays across its leading ladies’ faces, turning skin into a mood palette, burnishing all the musical interludes.

From Los Angeles Times

French film star Anouk Aimée, who was a popular leading lady for several of Europe's most influential directors, has died aged 92.

From BBC

Aimée’s career was, in a sense, attended by the ghost of the German director Max Ophuls, whose graceful camera was often trained on some of cinema’s most distinctive leading ladies.

From New York Times

In that film, Paige was cast as the fiery leading lady to Astaire’s producer and in one number found herself literally swinging from a chandelier.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• heroine