bellwether

noun

bell·​weth·​er ˈbel-ˈwe-t͟hər 

-ˌwe-

: one that takes the lead or initiative : leader

also : an indicator of trends

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.

Synonyms of bellwether

• leader
• pioneer

Examples of bellwether in a Sentence

She is a bellwether of fashion.

High-tech bellwethers led the decline in the stock market.

a county that is a bellwether in national elections

Recent Examples on the Web

And, experts say, the poll results in this county — largely seen as a bellwether in recent years — might not bode well for Republicans who are already facing an uphill battle heading into the November midterms where voters, in general, tend to favor the party that’s not in power. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

And if The Devil Wears Prada 2 is any kind of morale bellwether for big media, even the ten people with job security are feeling grim about the mouth. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026

Ramaswamy's win comes amid a slew of elections across the country in May that serve as a bellwether of the president's endorsement, as well as his party's power writ large. —Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 6 May 2026

Our hypothetical ambitious fifteen-year-old is exceptional, of course, and certainly not the bellwether for today’s disaffection about higher education. —Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 5 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bellewether, belleweder "castrated ram with a bell around his neck followed by the other sheep in a flock, leader," from belle bell entry 1 + wether, weder wether

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bellwether

• together
• aether
• gether
• heather
• leather
• nether
• tether
• weather
• wether
• whether
• altogether

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Kids Definition

bellwether

noun

bell·​weth·​er ˈbel-ˈwet͟h-ər 

-ˌwet͟h-

: someone or something that leads the way or points out a trend

a bellwether of fashion

a county that is a bellwether in national elections

Etymology

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