Meanings
plural pathfinders
- One who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region.
The cow is the true pathfinder and pathmaker.
1910, John Burroughs, “Phases of Farm Life”, in In the Catskills, page 672 more examples
Sorry and frightened, this man was their pathfinder across fields.
1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 42Pathfinders are trained to improve the viability of potential planets, initiate first contact with unknown species, find suitable outpost sites, and handle any external threats before the first colonist touches soil. The presence of a Pathfinder is a reassurance that a planet can be settled safely and with a high expectation of success.
2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Role of a Pathfinder Codex entrySynonyms: pathmaker, trailblazer
- figurativelyOne who is the first to do something in a particular field; an innovator, a pioneer.
Synonyms: trailblazer
- abbreviationellipsisbusinessEllipsis of pathfinder prospectus.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region.
nounOne who is the first to do something in a particular field; an innovator, a pioneer.
nounSynonym of honey guide.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian следотърсач
- следотърсач (sledotărsač)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Chinese Mandarin 探路者
- 探路者 (tànlùzhě)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
French explorateur, pionnier
- explorateurone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
- pionnierone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
German Phanderi
- Phanderione who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Greek ιχνηλάτης
- ιχνηλάτης (ichnilátis)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Hindi मार्गदर्शक
- मार्गदर्शक (mārgadarśak)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Hungarian cserkész
- cserkészone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Italian exploratore
- exploratoreone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Persian پیشاهنگ
- پیشاهنگ (pišâhang)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Polish pionier, pionierka
- pionierone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
- pionierkaone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
- tropicielone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
- tropicielkaone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Russian разве́дчик, первопроходец
- разве́дчик (razvédčik)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
- первопроходец (pervoproxodec)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Spanish explorador
- exploradorone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Swedish stigfinnare
- stigfinnareone who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Ukrainian першопрохо́дець, першопрохі́дник
- першопрохо́дець (peršoproxódecʹ)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
- першопрохі́дник (peršoproxídnyk)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
- першопрохі́дниця (peršoproxídnycja)one who discovers or makes a new path or way through an untraversed region
Cite this entry
pathfinder. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pathfinder
“pathfinder.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pathfinder. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pathfinder,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pathfinder.
Source: pathfinder on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.