English

Noun

thought leader ‎(plural thought leaders)

1. (set phrase, usually hyphenated when used attributively) A person, organization, publication, etc. regarded as an authoritative source of new ideas or intellectual trends.
   • 1990, Manfred Stanley, "The Rhetoric of the Commons" in The Rhetorical Turn, ISBN 9780226759029, p. 243 (Google preview):

     Referring illustratively to the debate on industrial policy between "thought leaders," . . . Yankelovitch says that below the level of media rhetoric, "one can detect a core of agreement emerging because the different parties are influencing one another."

   • 2004 Sept. 6, "‘Not Your Father's Silicon Valley’," Businessweek (retrieved 23 June 2014):

     Google, Yahoo, and eBay are the leaders in the online world. Apple is the thought leader in music.

   • 2008 Oct. 3, Stuart Elliott, "Brainy Brand Names Where They’re Least Expected," New York Times (retrieved 23 June 2014):

     In seeking readers and advertisers, publications like The Atlantic and The Economist, known as thought-leader magazines, have long tried to make up in cleverness what they lack in wallet power.

   • 2013 Jan. 9, Jessica Shankleman, "Public transport gets smart," The Guardian (UK) (retrieved 23 June 2014):

     The UK needs to be a thought leader on road safety, added Oldham, "so we can influence Europe."

See also

• catalyst
• inspiration
• trendsetter

References

• thought leader at OneLook Dictionary Search