bellwether
/ˈbelweðə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbelweðər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbel-ˈwe-t͟hər -ˌwe-/ (ame, mw)
bellwether — noun
- bellwethersingular
- bellwethersplural
1. something that gives you an early indication of which direction a larger set of
something that gives you an early indication of which direction a larger set of events or trends will take
The nurse noticed that patient complaints about the new system were a bellwether of wider staff dissatisfaction.
bellwether of
For decades, elections in this farming county have been a bellwether for the entire country.
bellwether for
Aiko sees her students' test results as a bellwether for how well her teaching works.
Luis sees rising restaurant bookings as a bellwether of economic recovery in the local area.
Priya treats rising building permits as a bellwether for the wider housing market.
文法句型
bellwether + of + noun
bellwether + for + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used in business and political contexts. The noun is almost always singular. The preposition of introduces the thing being predicted, while for introduces the domain affected.
常見錯誤
2. a publicly traded company whose financial results investors watch closely becaus
a publicly traded company whose financial results investors watch closely because they reveal the likely direction of the wider market or of a particular industry sector
The semiconductor firm's earnings report is a bellwether that analysts use to predict the tech sector's health.
bellwether that
Gabriel bought shares in the bellwether bank whose performance typically reflects the whole financial industry.
Lucas monitors a set of bellwether stocks before making any large investment decisions.
When the bellwether shipping company reported lower profits, logistics firms across Asia lost value.
Noor tracks monthly sales of a bellwether retailer as a guide to consumer spending trends.
- benchmark
a standard for comparison rather than a leading signal
- leading indicator
more technical economics term, same idea of advance prediction
文法句型
bellwether + noun (attributive)
bellwether + of + finance noun
用法筆記
In financial journalism bellwether is frequently used attributively before a noun (bellwether stock, bellwether company, bellwether sector). The literal sense (a sheep with a bell) is not used in modern finance contexts.
常見錯誤
3. a person, organisation, or product that leads the way in a particular field, set
a person, organisation, or product that leads the way in a particular field, setting an example that other people or groups look to for direction
Sakura's fashion label has become a bellwether for sustainable clothing in Japan.
Sofia viewed her mentor as a bellwether whose career choices showed the path for women in aerospace engineering.
bellwether whose
The café on Elm Street is a bellwether of the farm-to-table movement in the neighbourhood.
Folami's community garden project became a bellwether for urban farming efforts across the city.
Li has been a bellwether in accessible design, with other architects closely following her approach.
- pioneer
emphasizes being first; bellwether emphasizes being followed
- trendsetter
lighter, more informal; bellwether is more formal and authoritative
- trailblazer
focuses on innovation and risk-taking
- follower
a person who adopts innovations after the leader
文法句型
bellwether + in + field
bellwether + of + movement
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1 (which focuses on prediction) and sense 2 (financial markets), this sense emphasizes active leadership and influence — the bellwether is someone others consciously follow or copy.