lodestars

noun

variants also loadstars
plural of lodestar
as in compasses
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 lodestars Over succeeding decades, both Sellars and Salonen have been Salzburg Festival lodestars. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026 But in swapping out just four tracks, FKA twigs finally brought planet EUSEXUA into the orbit of her late-’90s pop lodestars. — Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025 Despite their three-year age difference, Derek Hough and Julianne Hough have become the twin lodestars of Dancing With the Stars. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lodestars
  1. compasses
  2. directions
  3. foci
  4. purposes
Noun
  • 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
  • So many role-playing games spoonfeed you with compasses and waypoints and fourth-wall-breaking warnings.
    — Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Definition of compasses
Noun
  • Users can explore featuring different models, poses, backgrounds and visual directions.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 20 July 2026
  • While the driver struggles at the wheel, the rest of the crew must scout, scream directions to the driver and operate winches to pull the rig out of mud or dangle it over cliffs.
    — Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026
Definition of directions
Noun
  • Among the focuses will be communication, data, inflation, technology and the Fed's balance sheet.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 26 June 2026
  • Beyond family and football, Kane’s two main focuses, golf is the only other hobby that really moves him.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 23 June 2026
Definition of foci
Noun
  • Selfie videos can be used for login purposes, to verify your age for accessing certain account features, and to create an AI avatar.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026
  • The phrase joins two purposes of education that are often treated as rivals.
    — Ray Ravaglia, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of purposes

Browse Nearby Words

lodestar
lodestars
lodestone
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Cite this Entry

“Lodestars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lodestars. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lodestars

Nglish: Translation of lodestars for Spanish Speakers

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