indicator noun
1 sign showing what sth is like
ADJ. good, reliable, sure | poor, unreliable Level of education is actually quite a poor indicator of ability to run a business well. | sensitive | crude, partial, rough | simple | key, leading, main, major | important, significant | useful, valuable | economic, financial, performance, social, socio-economic performance indicators such as language and numeracy skills
VERB + INDICATOR be, serve as These warts can serve as an indicator of other infections. | provide (sb with) | regard sth as, see sth as, take sth as Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation. | use (sth as) | develop It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science.
INDICATOR + VERB show sth, suggest sth Economic indicators suggest that a recovery is on the way.
PREP. ~ for an indicator for the presence of minerals