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
  • The brightest satellites, meanwhile, scatter their light in all directions.
    — Chris Young July 28, Refractor, 28 July 2026
  • The challenge for all independent grocers is getting that fresh-is-best message to break through to consumers who are pulled in countless directions by competing voices that most often have far bigger advertising and marketing budgets.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 26 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
  • One of the purposes of Ameri’kana is to gather with other people, meet new neighbors and participate in the arts with others.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • Our waiter, Juan, was – as all servers at Papi Steak are – quick to illuminate the kaleidoscopic dish with a pocket flashlight, apparently for documentary purposes.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 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 3 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lodestars

Nglish: Translation of lodestars for Spanish Speakers

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