What it means
A trendsetter is the one who's wearing it, doing it or saying it months before everyone else catches on, the friend whose random new habit somehow becomes what the whole group does by spring. They don't follow the wave, they start it, often without even trying. Half the time they've moved on by the time the trend goes mainstream.
Usage examples
"She's a total trendsetter, half the office copied her haircut within a month."
"He was wearing those before anyone, a proper trendsetter."
"Give it two months and everyone's gonna be dressing like Nia. She's such a trendsetter it's actually rude."
"Jay's a trendsetter, not a copycat. Man had the whole group saying that phrase by summer."
Where it comes from
Formed from trend plus setter, it literally means a person who sets a trend instead of following one. The word took hold in 20th century English, especially in fashion, media, and pop culture, then spread wider for anyone who seems to be ahead of the crowd without breaking a sweat.
