cornerstone

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈkɔrnɜrˌstoʊn/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A stone set at the corner of a building, often ceremonially placed and inscribed with the date of construction.; An essential foundation or basis on which something depends or is built.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: cornerstones

Collocations

cornerstone oflay the cornerstonecornerstone of societycornerstone of democracycornerstone of success

Synonyms

foundationbasiskeystonebedrockpillarmainstay

Commonly confused

keystone
EN: 'Keystone' is the central wedge-shaped stone at the top of an arch; 'cornerstone' is the stone at the corner of a building's foundation, and by extension, the fundamental basis of something.
milestone
EN: 'Milestone' marks a significant point or achievement in progress; 'cornerstone' refers to the foundational basis on which something is built.

Spelling tips

EN: Write as one word ('cornerstone'), not two ('corner stone'). The two-word form refers literally to a stone at a corner, while the compound is used for both literal and figurative senses.

💬 Examples

  1. The mayor laid the cornerstone of the new library last spring.

  2. Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democratic society.