polestar

[ pohl-stahr ]

noun

1. Polaris.
2. something that serves as a guiding principle.
3. something that is the center of attention or attraction.

Word History and Origins

Origin of polestar¹

First recorded in 1545–55; pole ² + star

Example Sentences

It’s hard to muster one’s revolutionary fervor for Cohn, the man the “Bad Gays” podcast once labeled “the polestar of human evil.”

From Los Angeles Times

“He is an intellectual giant and moral polestar, and it is very sad for the university to see him go,” Dr. Johnson said.

From New York Times

For much of his life, he steered by a polestar: his own naked self-interest.

From Washington Post

It says that a lawmaker must assiduously avoid using a legislative position for professional advantage and that public disclosure is the “polestar” for managing conflicts of interest.

From Washington Times

For in Martin’s vast creation, sprawling in both space and time, there is an ever-present drive, an orienting polestar: Who will emerge victorious and sit on the namesake Iron Throne?

From New York Times

Related Words

• capital
• city
• club
• heart
• hub
• mall
• market
• plaza
• shopping center
• station
• town