bellwether

noun

bell·​weth·​er ˈbel-ˈwe-t͟hər 

-ˌwe-

: one that takes the lead or initiative : leader

also : an indicator of trends

Did you know?

Because it suggests the act of forecasting, one might be inclined to think that bellwether has something to do with weather. But the wether in bellwether has nothing to do with meteorology. Instead, to learn whither wether, we must head to the sheep farm. We usually think of sheep more as followers than leaders, but in a flock one sheep must lead the way. Since long ago, it has been common practice for shepherds to hang a bell around the neck of one sheep in their flock, thereby designating it the lead sheep. This animal was historically called the bellwether, a word formed by a combination of the Middle English words belle (meaning “bell”) and wether (a noun that refers to a male sheep, and today specifically to a castrated male sheep). It eventually followed that bellwether would come to refer to someone who takes initiative or who actively establishes a trend that is taken up by others. This usage first appeared in English in the 15th century and has remained in the language ever since.

Synonyms

• leader
• pacemaker
• pacer
• pacesetter
• trendsetter

Examples of bellwether in a Sentence

She is a bellwether of fashion.

High-tech bellwethers led the decline in the stock market.

a county that is a bellwether in national elections

Recent Examples on the Web

For decades, Ohio was a key swing state and bellwether predicting presidential winners from 1964-2016 - the longest streak of any state in recent history. —Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024

To get a sense of which way the results are going, Hudson is looking to bellwether races in states that are expected to have results relatively early on Election Night in Virginia, North Carolina, and Michigan. —Emily Brooks, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024

Strength in rural areas is also key for Trump: To monitor, watch Sauk County, a bellwether that's picked the national winner every year since 2008 (Biden won 50% in 2020). —Joe Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Michigan Michigan, with 15 electoral votes, has been a strong bellwether for the rest of the country. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bellewether, belleweder "castrated ram with a bell around his neck followed by the other sheep in a flock, leader," from belle bell entry 1 + wether, weder wether

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

bellwether

noun

bell·​weth·​er ˈbel-ˈwet͟h-ər 

-ˌwet͟h-

: someone or something that leads the way or points out a trend

a bellwether of fashion

a county that is a bellwether in national elections

Etymology

from earlier bellwether "leading sheep (or wether) of a flock," from the fact that this sheep wore a bell which told the shepherd where the flock was