cornerstone
Americannoun
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a stone uniting two masonry walls at an intersection.
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a stone representing the nominal starting place in the construction of a monumental building, usually carved with the date and laid with appropriate ceremonies.
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something that is essential, indispensable, or basic.
The cornerstone of democratic government is a free press.
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the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed.
The cornerstone of his argument was that all people are created equal.
noun
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a stone at the corner of a wall, uniting two intersecting walls; quoin
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a stone placed at the corner of a building during a ceremony to mark the start of construction
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a person or thing of prime importance; basis
the cornerstone of the whole argument
Etymology
Origin of cornerstone
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Carney has made boosting commerce with Europe and Asia cornerstones of his strategy to backstop Canada's economy, should free trade with Washington collapse.
From Barron's
The Museum of Contemporary Art has acquired Kara Walker’s sculpture “Unmanned Drone,” a cornerstone of the museum’s groundbreaking “Monuments” exhibition.
From Los Angeles Times
The Hubble Space Telescope has now operated for more than 30 years and remains a cornerstone of astronomical discovery.
From Science Daily
The rise of tokenized stocks doesn’t just create new opportunities — it threatens cornerstone revenue models of traditional brokerages and their associated infrastructure.
From MarketWatch
Handpicked CEO successor Abel will, of course, face a lot of scrutiny and comparisons with Buffett, who, besides his reputation as a keen investing mind, also enjoyed the status of a cultural cornerstone.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
