Leading election

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Leading election" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to refer to an election that is currently in progress or one that is significant, but it lacks clarity and proper context. Example: "The leading election in the country is expected to take place next month, drawing significant attention from voters."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

The leading election reform proposals already before the Senate would go further.

The New York Times

True, we are desperately short of affordable homes, and renting and ownership are likely to be leading election issues.

The Guardian

The proper treatment of media corporations, said Richard L. Hasen, a leading election law specialist, is "among the most difficult questions for supporters of reasonable campaign finance reform".

The New York Times

For many years before that, he was known as a leading election lawyer in the state and a highly spirited Republican partisan.

The New York Times

Rising steadily for four months, unemployment has become a leading election issue and has hurt support for the government candidate, José Serra, who currently trails the front-runner Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the left-wing Workers Party by 25 percentage points in some opinion polls.

The New York Times

While having trained partisan observers inside polling places is a normal part of the voting process, "Trump has encouraged people to go on their own and check out what's going on in polling places", said Rick Hasen, a professor at the University of California Irvine law school and one of the country's leading election law experts.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Leading elections analyst John Curtice has cast doubt on Nuttall's prospects of winning seats in parliament.

The Guardian

Navalny helped to organise protests and led election campaigns in Moscow, but several years later fell out with the party over his conservative, indeed nationalist, political views.

The Guardian

But accusations of ballot-stuffing and other fraud have led election authorities to order an examination of ballot boxes in 10percentt of polling places.

The New York Times

Liberal alliance leads elections A liberal alliance was last night placed ahead of other parties in the final results from Libya's first free election in half a century, leaving Islamists far behind.

Independent

Leading Democratic election strategists were well aware of ExxonMobil's investments in the Republican Party, and they openly criticized the corporation.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

If you aim to convey the sense of an election that is in progress and likely to determine a certain outcome, consider rephrasing the concept as 'the election that leads to [outcome]'.

Common error

Avoid using "leading" as a direct adjective for "election" when you mean to emphasize its significance. "Leading" typically implies direction or guidance, which doesn't directly apply to an election's inherent importance. Instead, use "key" or "important" to clearly convey the election's significance. Consider that "the election leads to..." correctly employs the verb.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "leading election" attempts to function as an adjective-noun combination, where "leading" modifies "election". However, according to Ludwig AI, this construction is not considered standard English. The correct use of 'leading' would typically involve a verb form, such as 'the election leading to...'.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Encyclopedias

22%

Science

18%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "leading election" might seem intuitive, Ludwig AI highlights that it is not considered standard English. Instead of using "leading election" as an adjective-noun combination, it's best to opt for alternatives like "key election", "important election", or restructure the sentence to use "lead" as a verb (e.g., "the election that leads to"). These adjustments enhance clarity and ensure grammatical correctness, particularly in formal and professional contexts. Understanding the nuances in usage, as highlighted by Ludwig's examples, contributes to more effective communication. It is more common in neutral register sources such as News & Media, but is incorrect.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Key election

Replaces "leading" with "key", focusing on the importance of the election rather than its ongoing state.

Major election

Substitutes "leading" with "major", highlighting the significance of the election.

Important election

Uses "important" instead of "leading" to emphasize the election's relevance.

Critical election

Replaces "leading" with "critical", indicating the election's decisive nature.

Crucial election

Uses "crucial" to convey the essential nature of the election.

Pivotal election

Replaces "leading" with "pivotal", emphasizing the election's turning-point quality.

Foremost election

Substitutes "leading" with "foremost", focusing on its rank or position.

Top election

Uses "top" instead of "leading" to describe the election.

Principal election

Replaces "leading" with "principal", giving more details about the election.

Primary election

Substitutes "leading" with "primary", to indicate that is the election of first importance.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "leading election" that better emphasize importance?

Instead of "leading election", you can use phrases like "key election", "important election", or "critical election" to highlight the election's significance.

Is "leading election" grammatically correct?

According to Ludwig AI, "leading election" is not considered standard English. It's generally better to use more precise and grammatically correct alternatives.

How can I use "lead" in relation to an election correctly?

You can correctly use "lead" as a verb, for example, "The election leads to [outcome]", indicating the election's result or consequence. This is grammatically sound.

What is the difference between saying "leading election" and "election that leads to"?

While "leading election" is considered grammatically incorrect, "election that leads to" clearly expresses the idea of an election causing or resulting in something. The latter uses "leads" as a verb, making it grammatically sound.