leading indicator

noun

A phenomenon that generally occurs in advance of a more important phenomenon, aiding in its prediction.

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Meanings

nounleading indicator (plural leading indicators)

plural leading indicators

  1. A phenomenon that generally occurs in advance of a more important phenomenon, aiding in its prediction.
  2. economicsA phenomenon that is predictive of the overall level of economic activity, especially one for which reliable statistics are available; a leading economic indicator.
Cite this entry
APA

leading indicator. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leading%20indicator

MLA

“leading indicator.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leading%20indicator. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leading indicator,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leading%20indicator.

Source: leading indicator on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.