pathfinder

noun

path·​find·​er ˈpath-ˌfīn-dər How to pronounce pathfinder (audio)
ˈpäth-
: one that discovers a way
especially : one that explores untraversed regions to mark out a new route
pathfinding noun or adjective

Examples of pathfinder in a Sentence

a pathfinder of the fashion world
Recent Examples on the Web Nicki Minaj is a pathfinder whose popularity foreshadowed a recent proliferation of women’s voices in the rap mainstream — Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice, Latto, GloRilla, so many more — that was decades overdue. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2023 The team is currently working alongside NASA, the US Department of Energy, and the University of Minnesota on a pathfinder project called the Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment-Night (LuSEE-Night). Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Sep. 2023 The nipples on the tetas of the nanny Fidelia were the navigator, the pathfinder, the salvation of all those who lost their way. Lawrence Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023 Inside the tents and high bays in South Texas, the company has components for SN6, a separate pathfinder tank that uses a new steel alloy, and SN8. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 4 Aug. 2020 As an advisor, Rinne styles herself as a pathfinder within the digital economy, platform economy, and sharing economy. Dr. Ruth Gotian, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023 At the dedication, Ramona Denby-Brinson, who is the first Black woman to serve as dean of the UNC School of Social Work, credited McClinton with paving the way for her and noted the fortitude required for being a pathfinder. Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2023 It was launched as a pathfinder for the Moon-orbiting outpost called Gateway, which will eventually form part of the Artemis program. Matthew Humphries, PCMAG, 15 Nov. 2022 The flight will begin in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and is slated to go beyond the James Webb telescope and into interplanetary deep space, where the company says the rocket will become the most distant permanent human repository outpost and a pathfinder for the human exploration of space. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Aug. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pathfinder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pathfinder was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near pathfinder

Cite this Entry

“Pathfinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathfinder. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

pathfinder

noun
path·​find·​er ˈpath-ˌfīn-dər How to pronounce pathfinder (audio)
ˈpȧth-
: one that discovers a way and especially a new route in unexplored regions

More from Merriam-Webster on pathfinder

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