Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - pacesetter

also pace-setter (pacesetters) 1. A pacesetter is someone who is in the lead during part of a race or competition and therefore decides the speed or standard of the race or competition for that time. Real’s victory keeps them five points behind the pacesetters, Barcelona... Hammond was the early pace-setter. N-COUNT 2. A pacesetter is a person or a company that is considered to be the leader in a particular field or activity. Mongolia seemed an unlikely candidate as the pacesetter for political change in Asia. N-COUNT