torchbearer

noun

torch·​bear·​er ˈtȯrch-ˌber-ər 

1

: one that carries a torch

2

: someone in the forefront of a campaign, crusade, or movement

Example Sentences

He became the torchbearer for civil rights.

Recent Examples on the Web

Miranda Lambert, perhaps this era's finest female torchbearer of traditional country, has taken notice of where Wilson is staking her claim, and the superstar has identified her as the next one to carry the torch. —Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 28 Oct. 2022

The story of Bad Bunny’s mythical ascent from a grocery bagger in the small town of Vega Baja to a torchbearer for a new generation of reggaeton and trap artists has become nearly folklore. —New York Times, 6 May 2022

And now, with Abbott as the critical darling of the Emmys and the torchbearer for network sitcoms typically put out to pasture in today's streaming age, more people than ever are paying attention. —Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 9 Sep. 2022

The last two installments of The Life of Pi’erre cemented him as a formidable torchbearer for the kind of melodic and lush raps his frequent collaborator Playboi Carti elevated during his early SoundCloud era. —Dewayne Gage, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2022

The 911 is Porsche’s torchbearer, born in 1964 to race. —Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 18 Aug. 2022

King, who for all these years has been a prime torchbearer for female empowerment in sports, made her disgust plain. —Kurt Streeter, New York Times, 25 June 2022

One previous Uyghur Olympic torchbearer is also highlighting how performative these acts of inclusion are, even when actual minorities are involved. —Tiffany Ap, Quartz, 4 Feb. 2022

Years later, Ping received an invitation from Chinese officials to be a torchbearer at the opening ceremony in Beijing of the Summer Games in 2008. —New York Times, 11 Mar. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1