bellwether
Americannoun
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a wether or other male sheep that leads the flock, usually bearing a bell.
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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
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a person or thing that shows the existence or direction of a trend; index.
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a person who leads a mob, mutiny, conspiracy, or the like; ringleader.
noun
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a sheep that leads the herd, often bearing a bell
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a leader, esp one followed unquestioningly
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing bellwether
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Shares of economic bellwether FedEx fell in late trading despite the delivery giant’s reported increase in quarterly package volumes and revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
The pair points to “Radio” as the album’s bellwether.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Swindon, for so long a political bellwether, is perhaps providing a parable of Englishness.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
The stock’s first days of trading will serve as a bellwether for the rest of the quantum space, Wedbush analyst Antoine Legault told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
"Because he's an old bellwether, that's why!" snapped Miss Sally Ruth, scandalized.
From Slippy McGee, Sometimes Known as the Butterfly Man by Oemler, Marie Conway
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
The Producers Guild Awards are considered one of the most reliable bellwethers in the Oscar race because their preferential ballot closely mirrors the academy’s best picture voting system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026
Market demand appears constructive with industry bellwethers pointing to central-processing unit recovery, which reinforces momentum for the company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
Also, while some bellwethers have reported big jumps in AI-related capex spending, investor worries about return on investment and debt financing have rattled markets at times.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2025
Themselves the victims of conditions, they were the bellwethers to millions of victims compelled to follow their leadership.
From The Grain of Dust by Phillips, David Graham
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
