bellwether

American  

[bel-weth-er] / ˈbɛlˌwɛð ər /

noun

• bellwethers
  plural

1. a wether or other male sheep that leads the flock, usually bearing a bell.

2. a person or thing that assumes the leadership or forefront, as of a profession or industry.

   Paris is a bellwether of the fashion industry.

   Synonyms:

   trailblazer, front runner, pacesetter, leader

3. a person or thing that shows the existence or direction of a trend; index.

4. a person who leads a mob, mutiny, conspiracy, or the like; ringleader.

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bellwether British  

/ ˈbɛlˌwɛðə /

noun

1. a sheep that leads the herd, often bearing a bell

2. a leader, esp one followed unquestioningly

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bellwethers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bellwether

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at bell ¹, wether

Explanation

Use the word bellwether to indicate someone or something that takes the lead in a group or movement. Literally, a bellwether is a sheep (often wearing a bell) that leads a herd. Unless you herd sheep, you probably don't see many bellwethers that say "Baaa." That's the origin of this word, but there are many other types of bellwethers who lead the way in different areas. Apple was a bellwether in technology. Rosa Parks was a bellwether in civil rights. And, during election season, those "bellwether states" are the ones where the primaries seem to predict the outcome of a party's nomination.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bellwether bellwethers

June 22 turned out to be the all-time high on both the iShares semiconductor exchange-traded fund and SK Hynix, perhaps the sector bellwether after its meteoric rally of the previous year.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

“The precipitous decline of X is the bellwether for a new era of the Internet that simply feels less fun than it used to be. Remember having fun online?” he wrote.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

The bellwether cases could now open the floodgates for a deluge of similar lawsuits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

In the bellwether trial that starts this week in Oakland, Calif., the four states are seeking $1.4 trillion—yes, trillion—in damages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

At Hampton Court the tinkling flocks are not provided with an official bellwether, but are left to browse at discretion on the tough herbage of History. 

From Lady Barbarina The Siege of London, An International Episode and Other Tales by Henry James

One of the most critical retail bellwethers, restaurants, saw a slight decline in sales in December.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 10, 2026

South Korea’s Kospi fell 2.7% as semiconductor chip bellwethers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both closed down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

The Los Angeles trial is among a handful of bellwethers meant to clarify the uncharted legal terrain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026

Magnificent Seven members Apple, Microsoft, Meta and Tesla are due this week, with other bellwethers including Texas Instruments, Boeing and Mastercard providing an idea about the state of the economy.

From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026

Themselves the victims of conditions, they were the bellwethers to millions of victims compelled to follow their leadership.

From The Grain of Dust by David Graham Phillips