North Star

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. Polaris.

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North Star British  

noun

1. another name for Polaris

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North Star Scientific  

1. See Polaris

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North Star Cultural  

1. A star positioned along the line in space that includes the axis (see also axis) of rotation of the Earth. For this reason, the star does not appear to move in the sky, but remains fixed above the North Pole.

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Discover More

Locating the North Star is useful in navigation.

Etymology

Origin of North Star

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

North Star

He added: “My North Star was always what’s the right thing to do for the company.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

"Care must build and not break the relationships that young people need, and this must be the new North Star," he added.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Chinatown has always been a North Star in Jessica Wang’s life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

You may feel like the black sheep of your family, but you can be the North Star of your own life, and your son’s life, and your friends’ lives.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Second, the Greeks knew from their travels that the North Star appeared lower in the sky when viewed in the south than it did in more northerly regions.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking