bellwether
noun
Did you know?
Because it suggests the act of forecasting, one might be inclined to think that bellwether has something to do with weather. But the wether in bellwether has nothing to do with meteorology. Instead, to learn whither wether, we must head to the sheep farm. We usually think of sheep more as followers than leaders, but in a flock one sheep must lead the way. Since long ago, it has been common practice for shepherds to hang a bell around the neck of one sheep in their flock, thereby designating it the lead sheep. This animal was historically called the bellwether, a word formed by a combination of the Middle English words belle (meaning “bell”) and wether (a noun that refers to a male sheep, and today specifically to a castrated male sheep). It eventually followed that bellwether would come to refer to someone who takes initiative or who actively establishes a trend that is taken up by others. This usage first appeared in English in the 15th century and has remained in the language ever since.
Examples of bellwether in a Sentence
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Entering the night with 13 nominations, the film had been an early favorite after sweeping most of the major industry prizes, including the PGA Award — a key bellwether in this category.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
For context, some favored The Voice of Hind Rajab, which succeeded where Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice didn’t in making the rare transition from the Venice Film Festival (the event is a better bellwether for Best Picture than International, as Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia shows).
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
While just a few weeks ago, voter concerns about AI data centers and rising utility costs seemed to be replacing gas prices at the pump as the new political bellwether, now surging fuel prices are the focus again.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Cite this Entry
“Bellwether.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bellwether. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bellwether
noun
from earlier bellwether "leading sheep (or wether) of a flock," from the fact that this sheep wore a bell which told the shepherd where the flock was
