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Synonyms

groundbreaking

American  
[ground-brey-king] / ˈgraʊndˌbreɪ kɪŋ /

noun

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

adjective

  1. of or relating to such a ceremony.

  2. 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.

More than half-a-century after the groundbreaking Apollo program's last crewed flight to the Moon, three men and one woman are preparing for a lunar journey set to turn a new page in American space exploration.

From Barron's

“More than ever, Season 5 is going to be about yearning,” Brownell said, adding that it “feels groundbreaking” to have a “Bridgerton” season focused on a queer romance.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Barron's

A groundbreaking comedy for its time, it paved the way for other sketch comedy that followed using the same formula, more or less, such as “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” and “Saturday Night Live.”

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From BBC

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.