Synonyms

North Star

American

noun

Astronomy.

Polaris.

North Star British

noun

another name for Polaris

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

North Star Scientific

See Polaris

North Star Cultural

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.

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But “importantly, we are not seeing a fundamental deterioration in profits, the north star of this bull market,” Truist’s Lerner said in his note.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 14, 2025

The company is making profitable growth its north star and shedding distribution points that have been underperforming, Chief Executive Josh Charlesworth said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

“Earnings growth remains the north star of this bull market,” said Keith Lerner, chief investment officer at Truist.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

“Doing what I think is best for the story has always been my north star, and the story to me fit for these three seasons,” says Han.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025

Whether they had been born free or in chains, they inhabited that moment as one: the moment when you aim yourself at the north star and decide to run.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023