guide post

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A sign beside a road or path that shows direction or distance.

   Grammar: Countable: one guide post, two guide posts; often appears in the plural for a set of signs.

   Patterns

   • a guide post at a junction
   • follow the guide posts

   A wooden guide post at the crossroads pointed toward the village.

   We followed the guide posts along the hiking trail until we reached the lake.

   The old guide post had faded letters and a cracked arrow.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   Something that helps you decide what to do or how to behave.

   Grammar: Often used in the plural for principles: moral guide posts.

   Patterns

   • a guide post for someone
   • serve as a guide post

   Her grandmother's advice was a guide post throughout her career.

   The report offers guide posts for companies facing rapid change.

   Honesty was the guide post he used when making hard choices.

Word forms

Common combinations

a guide post points to

The guide post points to the nearest town.

set up guide posts

Workers set up guide posts before the marathon.

a moral guide post

For many people, religion is a moral guide post.

serve as a guide post

These rules serve as a guide post for new employees.

Synonyms and how they differ

signpost

The usual British word for a roadside direction sign; it is more common in everyday speech than "guide post."

sign

A general word for any notice or marker; it does not always show direction or distance.

landmark

A landmark helps you know where you are, but it is a feature of the place, not a posted sign.

Word family

guidepost noun

The one-word American spelling of the same word.

guide verb

To show someone the way or help them decide.

Commonly confused: guide post or goalpost?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “guide post”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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