groundbreaking
Americannoun
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
Explanation
Something groundbreaking is brand new, important, and original, like groundbreaking research that proves your cat really does love you. As a noun, groundbreaking is the traditional way of marking the very first day of a building project, when the ground is officially "broken," either literally with a shovel or figuratively. You could even attend the groundbreaking of a groundbreaking new hotel that's heated and cooled with sustainable geothermal energy. This word comes from the phrase to break ground, originally used to describe both construction and planting crops.
Vocabulary lists containing groundbreaking
Kwame Crashes the Underworld
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The Ice Cream Machine
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Ida B
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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.
The computer scientist behind groundbreaking research that helped land Nasa's astronauts on the Moon, has died aged 90.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
"There is much to do, but we are on our way to groundbreaking science."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
Kelly Lange worked for several years as an airborne radio traffic reporter before becoming a groundbreaking female nightly news anchor for the NBC station here and a guest host for the NBC network.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
A documentary revives the tumultuous but groundbreaking voyage of an all-women America’s Cup team.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
In this groundbreaking book, the author tackled many emerging ecological concerns, such as the environmental dangers associated with radiation.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
