guidepost

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A post beside a road or path that shows directions or distances to help travelers.

   Grammar: Countable: one guidepost, two guideposts; often used with 'at' or 'by' for location.

   Patterns

   • a guidepost at something
   • a guidepost by the road
   • follow the guideposts

   We stopped at a weathered guidepost to check which way the village lay.

   The old guidepost by the crossroads still shows the distance to the coast.

   Someone had painted over the letters on the guidepost, so we had to guess the route.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   Something that serves as a sign or standard showing what to aim for or how to judge progress.

   Grammar: Countable and usually singular in this figurative use; common with 'a' and with 'for'.

   Patterns

   • a guidepost for something
   • serve as a guidepost
   • a guidepost to something

   The report has become a guidepost for how companies should treat customer data.

   Her early research served as a guidepost for a whole generation of scientists.

   For many parents, the school's values are a guidepost in a confusing world.

Word forms

Common combinations

a guidepost for

The new rules act as a guidepost for small businesses.

serve as a guidepost

These figures serve as a guidepost when we plan next year's budget.

a moral guidepost

He treated honesty as a moral guidepost throughout his career.

follow the guideposts

Follow the guideposts and you will reach the summit in about an hour.

a guidepost at the crossroads

There is a guidepost at the crossroads pointing to the ferry.

Synonyms and how they differ

signpost

Almost the same for a physical roadside marker, and more common in everyday British English; 'guidepost' sounds a little older or more literary.

landmark

Use this for a large, easily recognized feature you navigate by, not for a small post with directions.

benchmark

This fits the figurative sense of a standard for measuring, but it suggests comparison of performance rather than moral or practical guidance.

milestone

A milestone marks a stage reached on a journey or project, while a guidepost tells you which way to go.

Word family

guide verb

To show someone the way or direct their actions.

guidance noun

Help and advice about what to do.

guideline noun

A general rule or piece of advice about how to act.

Commonly confused: guidepost or signpost?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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