trendsetter

noun

trend·​set·​ter ˈtren(d)-ˌse-tər 

variants or less commonly trend-setter

plural trendsetters also trend-setters

: one that sets a trend : someone or something that starts or helps to popularize a new fashion, style, movement, etc.

a trendsetter in the fashion industry

Every ten years or so, for a different set of reasons each time, cultural trendsetters rally behind one musician with whom they sense a bond and who then comes to symbolize jazz to the mass media.

—Francis Davis

The county has become a trendsetter in other types of environmental legislation …

—Chemical & Engineering News

Synonyms of trendsetter

• leader
• pioneer

Examples of trendsetter in a Sentence

a closely watched trendsetter in women's fashions

Recent Examples on the Web

Pictures of the trendsetter’s new look were first revealed on social media. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

On September 7, the former first daughter—whose parents are Michelle and former President Barack Obama—leaned into her reputation as a Gen Z trendsetter by pairing a skin-baring top and baggy jeans with a bold beauty moment. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 8 Sep. 2026

Heartthrob, fashion model, trendsetter and pin-up, Best was conflicted and contradictory, evocative and elegant. — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Now, the charitable trendsetter is giving millions to support the youth mental health crisis. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trendsetter

• abettor
• newsletter
• typesetter
• better
• bettor
• debtor
• fetter
• getter
• letter
• netter
• petter
• rhetor