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.

A few of the videos he had put out around that time just didn’t feel groundbreaking to him, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Tim Goudge and his team continue to be leaders in the field, making groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of Mars' planetary surface and hydrologic processes," he said.

From Science Daily

However, his groundbreaking TV series Twin Peaks remained for many his greatest work - portraying an idyllic American small town encroached by a chaotic unconscious world.

From BBC

Together, they designed a groundbreaking study using advanced computer simulations that followed thousands of generations of digital organisms.

From Science Daily

Both 2009's Avatar, which was considered groundbreaking for its revolutionary use of technology, and sequel The Way of the Water, held on to the top box office spot for seven consecutive weeks.

From BBC

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