Pathfinders

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Explorers who seek new routes or uncharted territories
2. Guides who assist others in navigating through unfamiliar situations or challenges
3. Individuals who search for and map out unknown regions ; people who lead or direct others to navigate unfamiliar places or situations

Etymology: "Pathfinders" is the plural of "pathfinder," a noun built from two plain English words: "path," a way trodden or marked across ground, and "finder," one who discovers or locates something. Put together, the sense is literal: a person who finds the way ahead where none was clear before. The compound is transparent in a way many English words are not, and it has long been used both for people who literally cleared trails through wilderness and for figurative guides who lead the way in new fields. Its meaning has stayed close to its parts, which is why the word reads as self-explanatory today.

Synonyms: scouts, trailblazers, explorers, pioneers

Antonyms: followers, imitators, copycats