Synonyms

groundbreaking

American

[ground-brey-king] / ˈgraʊndˌbreɪ kɪŋ /

noun

the act or ceremony of breaking ground for a new construction project.

adjective

of or relating to such a ceremony.
originating or pioneering a new endeavor, field of inquiry, or the like.

Pasteur's groundbreaking work in bacteriology.

Etymology

Origin of groundbreaking

First recorded in 1905–10; ground ¹ + break + -ing ¹, -ing ²

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.

What emerged was a groundbreaking proposal for how to define the term “cure” in myeloma.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026

It typically takes three years from groundbreaking to production at other semiconductor facilities.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

The 27-year-old describes the impact of the show as "groundbreaking" for the community.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

On Friday, state and local officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Los Angeles County Care Community, which will open over the next few years in six now-vacant buildings at the state hospital.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Over the next decade, the small company took the videogame industry by storm, releasing a series of bestselling action and adventure games, all using a groundbreaking first-person graphics engine created by Halliday.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023