- Lead
- Payment of a financial obligation earlier than is expected or required. The New York Times Financial Glossary
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1. to be in charge of something such as an important activity, a group of people, or an organization:• The manager had led a series of projects that improved productivity in his region.
• a new management team led by Roger Shute
2. to be more successful than other people, companies, or countries in a particular activity or area of business:• Printing banknotes is one area where Britain leads the world.
• a company that leads the field in software applications
3. to happen before something else:• Typically, stockmarkets lead the recovery of the real economy by four to six months.
4. lead the way to be the first to do something, especially something good or successful, which is likely to encourage others to do the same thing:• Large grocery multiples and the oil companies have led the way in retail modelling.
— see also -led1. [countable] MARKETING a piece of information such as a list of telephone numbers that may help someone selling something to find customers:• The in-house sales team deals with all telephone sales leads.
2. [singular] COMMERCE when you are in front of or better than everyone else you are competing with:• The company has a substantial lead over its main competitors.
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Ⅰ.UK USUKlead UK /liːd/ verb (led /led/, led /led/)► [T] to be in charge of a group of people, an organization, or a situation: »They led a management buy-out of the business, raising €10m in capital.
»She has been promoted to lead a team that focuses on product development.
»He leads the company's worldwide marketing and sales division.
► [I or T] to be in front, be first, or be winning in a particular situation or area of business: »German, Swiss, and Scandinavian banks lead the internet-based financial services market in Europe.
► [T] to happen before something else happens: »The company has improved operating performance, led by cost reduction efforts and productivity gains.
► to influence someone to do sth: lead sb/sth to do sth »Sharply lower profit has led the company to begin an aggressive cost-cutting plan.
Ⅱ.UKlead UK US /liːd/ /led/ noun► [S] a winning position in a situation in which people are competing: give sb/sth a lead »The brand will give the company a commanding lead in the important new sector.
have/increase/maintain a lead (over sb/sth) »The group's market share rose to 42.9%, increasing its lead over their arch-rival, which has 37.6%.
»Goldman maintained its lead as top manager of negotiated sales.
► [C, usually singular] an action or example that shows a person or group what to do: »Most competitors will in any case be only too happy to follow the company's lead in raising prices.
take a lead from sb/sth »We could take a lead from Finland, where a government programme has dramatically raised the intake of fruit and vegetables.
take a lead on sth »The supermarket group took a lead on GM food labelling.
► [C] MARKETING a piece of information that allows a discovery to be made, customers to be found, or a solution to be found: »Our business meeting gave me lots of good leads.
Ⅲ.lead UK US /liːd/ adjective [before noun]► most important among a group of people, products, etc.: a lead company/product »The company's lead product for lung and certain blood cancers is in Phase II trials in humans.
»The lead negotiator for the teachers' union said he wasn't surprised by the vote.
play a lead role in sth »They have played a lead role in the fast and furious growth of e-commerce.
Financial and business terms. 2012.
