lodestar

noun

lode·​star ˈlōd-ˌstär 

variants or less commonly loadstar

1

archaic : a star that leads or guides

especially : north star

2

: one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide

Did you know?

If you’re looking for inspiration, lodestar may represent the mother lode. The literal, albeit archaic, meaning of lodestar is “a star that leads or guides”; it is a term that has been used especially in reference to the North Star, a star in the Ursa Minor, or Little Dipper, constellation. The lode in both lodestar and mother lode comes from the Middle English word for “course” (lode is still used in some parts of England to mean “waterway”). Both the starry sense of lodestar and the more earthly “something or someone that leads or guides a person or group of people” meaning date back to the 14th century, the time of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who used both in his work. The literal sense had mostly fallen out of use by the early 17th century, but the figurative use shines on.

Synonyms

• compass
• cynosure
• direction
• focus
• polestar

Examples of lodestar in a Sentence

The idea of public service has been a lodestar for her throughout her life.

a society seemingly with unbridled greed as its only lodestar

Recent Examples on the Web

In California, where many of the wealthiest might be under 40, there’s a similar need for a butler to act as much as lodestar as staff member. —Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2024

The American flag, the lodestar of the Republican look since Nixon, took over. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2024

The Manner — New York City Where it’s located: Standard International has been a lodestar of the lifestyle hotel movement since opening its first property in West Hollywood in 1999. —Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2024

For many anti-Trump conservatives, the lodestar remains Ronald Reagan. —Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lode sterre, from lode course, from Old English lād

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

lodestar

noun

lode·​star

variants also loadstar

ˈlōd-ˌstär

: a star that leads or guides

especially : north star

Legal Definition

lodestar

noun

lode·​star

ˈlōd-ˌstär

: the amount obtained by multiplying the reasonable amount of hours spent by an attorney working on a case by the reasonable hourly billing rate for purposes of calculating an award of attorney's fees

Etymology

perhaps from the notion of the lodestar as a guiding light or principle