lodestar

noun

ˈlōd-ˌstär How to pronounce lodestar (audio)
variants also loadstar
Definition of lodestarnext
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle a society seemingly with unbridled greed as its only lodestar

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lodestar The country, with its fashion-savvy consumers, has become a lodestar for the industry. — Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026 Like many other states, Washington law provides that the reasonableness of an attorney fee award should be determined by something called the lodestar method. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026 Over succeeding decades, both Sellars and Salonen have been Salzburg Festival lodestars. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026 The event, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, is a lodestar of the region’s burgeoning arts scene. — News Desk, Artforum, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lodestar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lodestar
  1. compass
  2. direction
Noun
  • The emotional compass of the United Farm Workers of America for decades, the petite mother of 14 attained singular stature as a rule-breaking proto-feminist, godmother of the Chicano power movement and doyenne of American labor.
    — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Agent 12, for example, spent most of its time forming shapes such as a compass or a clock, and figures such as a butterfly or a sailboat.
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of compass
Noun
  • Brennan said his letter was based on direction offered by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in November.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Reversing the voltage’s polarity reversed the direction of rotation.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of direction

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Cite this Entry

“Lodestar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lodestar. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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