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

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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 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 Pop The rapper turned pop star Lizzo felt like a lodestar of the twenty-tens Zeitgeist. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lodestar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lodestar
  1. compass
  2. direction
Noun
  • For now, the lookout volunteers use a map, compass and familiarity with landmarks to pinpoint the location for initial attack crews.
    — Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
  • The prevailing motifs include Anglo-American boarding schools and college campuses, accoutrements with a romantic aura (billowing sleeves, melting candles), and analog artifacts (old compasses, monocles).
    — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
Definition of compass
Noun
  • In that contest, Clark was assessed a technical foul for loudly clapping in the direction of Mercury players during a skirmish, which White said the officials deemed as taunting.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • All lanes of the Long Island Expressway at 188th Street were blocked in both directions due to flooding for a couple of hours in the early afternoon before reopening, according to the New York City Police Department.
    — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 July 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 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of lodestar for Spanish Speakers

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