- informal the leader or a favoured contestant in a race, election, etc
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
frontrunner /ˈfrʌntˌrʌnə/ n
ˈfront-ˈrun•ner or ˈfrontˈrun•ner, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a person who leads in any competition:That candidate quickly established himself as the front-runner.
front′ run′ner,
- a person who leads in any competition.
- Sportan entrant in a race who breaks to the front immediately and establishes the pace for the field.
- Sportan entrant in a race who performs well only when ahead of the field.
- 1935–40, American.
'frontrunner' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):