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cornerstone
[kawr-ner-stohn]
noun
a stone uniting two masonry walls at an intersection.
a stone representing the nominal starting place in the construction of a monumental building, usually carved with the date and laid with appropriate ceremonies.
something that is essential, indispensable, or basic.
The cornerstone of democratic government is a free press.
the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed.
The cornerstone of his argument was that all people are created equal.
cornerstone
/ ˈkɔːnəˌstəʊn /
noun
a stone at the corner of a wall, uniting two intersecting walls; quoin
a stone placed at the corner of a building during a ceremony to mark the start of construction
a person or thing of prime importance; basis
the cornerstone of the whole argument
Word History and Origins
Origin of cornerstone1
Example Sentences
Lecornu’s benighted tenure—the shortest in the history of France’s modern Fifth Republic—is a measure of how a political system that was once a cornerstone of stability in Europe has fallen into disarray.
The 1998 Belfast Agreement, the cornerstone of peace in Northern Ireland, and the post-Brexit deal with the European Union placed respect for human rights law at their centre.
Academic research is a cornerstone of U.S. pharmaceutical R&D: A 2020 study found that “NIH funding contributed to research associated with every new drug approved from 2010-2019, totaling $230 billion.”
These include new work requirements that are a cornerstone of Republican demands, under which certain adults would have to work or engage in qualifying activities to maintain Medicaid benefits.
The cornerstones of Booker’s game will now be doing traditional big-man things and using the speed that could make him a menace in the lob game and on the fast break.
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