trailblazer

American  

[treyl-bley-zer] / ˈtreɪlˌbleɪ zər /

noun

1. a person who blazes blaze a trail for others to follow through unsettled country or wilderness; pathfinder.

2. a pioneer in any field of endeavor.

   a trailblazer in science.

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trailblazer British  

/ ˈtreɪlˌbleɪzə /

noun

1. a leader or pioneer in a particular field

2. a person who blazes a trail

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Other Word Forms

• trailblazing adjective

Etymology

Origin of trailblazer

First recorded in 1905–10; trail + blaze ² + -er ¹

Compare meaning

How does trailblazer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• blazer vs. trailblazer

Example Sentences

Her tousled hair and bold eyeliner set fashion trends worldwide, while her performances cemented Bardot as a cinematic trailblazer.

From BBC

He was a pragmatic justice, not an ideological trailblazer, and he approached cases with an intense focus on the facts and law before him, with a deep respect for legal precedent.

From The Wall Street Journal

All are well-regarded trailblazers, but none of them, I would say, is a pop superstar.

From Los Angeles Times

These experiments, and other trailblazers in the field, are still far from restoring full capability to patients who have lost the ability to talk or walk.

From Barron's

Being useful is clearly a driver for Patti Smith - a poet, writer, artist, activist and trailblazer whose anthemic rock song, People Have the Power, is a call to stand up for what you believe in.

From BBC

Related Words

• wanderer