lockstep

[lok-step]

noun

1. a way of marching in very close file, in which the leg of each person moves with and closely behind the corresponding leg of the person ahead.

2. a rigidly inflexible pattern or process.

adjective

1. rigidly inflexible.

   a lockstep educational curriculum.

lockstep

/ ˈlɒkˌstɛp /

noun

1. a method of marching in step such that the men follow one another as closely as possible

2. a standard procedure that is closely, often mindlessly, followed

3. progressing at exactly the same speed and in the same direction as other people or things, esp as a matter of course rather than by choice

Word History and Origins

Origin of lockstep¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; lock ¹ + step

Example Sentences

A correlation of 1 means two assets move perfectly in lockstep, while a correlation of 0 suggests no relationship.

Read more on MarketWatch

Still, party leaders and many elected Democrats are in lockstep support of the Israeli government.

Read more on Salon

But a more moderate Republican majority rose on the county board—one that hasn’t always marched in lockstep with the administration.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It was well known within the party, former justices and other judges said, that Newby hand-picked Republican judicial candidates, demanding that those vying for seats be “in lockstep” with his views, as one described it.

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That, in turn, will please the Sheinbaum administration in Mexico and strengthen their claim to be in lockstep with their US counterparts on security.

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