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
Francis DavisThe county has become a trendsetter in other types of environmental legislation …—Chemical & Engineering News
Chemical & Engineering NewsExamples of trendsetter in a Sentence
a closely watched trendsetter in women's fashions
Recent Examples on the Web
The kind of traveler who loves customized itineraries is a trendsetter at heart, someone with an insatiable curiosity for the world and a penchant for authentic experiences.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Lauren Hutton was a trendsetter in more ways than one.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
As always, the trendsetter made a bold style statement in a white floral Eugene Alexander minidress, previously worn by Whitney Houston and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 Mar. 2026
One of the early trendsetters of the women’s evolution in WWE, Paige’s in-ring career there ended in 2017 thanks to a serious neck injury.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trendsetter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Lauren Hutton was a trendsetter in more ways than one.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
As always, the trendsetter made a bold style statement in a white floral Eugene Alexander minidress, previously worn by Whitney Houston and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 13 Mar. 2026
One of the early trendsetters of the women’s evolution in WWE, Paige’s in-ring career there ended in 2017 thanks to a serious neck injury.
—Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trendsetter
Cite this Entry
“Trendsetter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trendsetter. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
