milestone
Americannoun
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a stone functioning as a milepost.
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a significant event or stage in the life, progress, development, or the like of a person, nation, etc..
Her getting the job of supervisor was a milestone in her career.
noun
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a stone pillar that shows the distance in miles to or from a place
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a significant event in life, history, etc
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of milestone
Explanation
A milestone is a significant event in your life. Often a milestone marks the start of a new chapter. For example, the day you graduated from high school was a milestone in your life. Milestone literally refers to a roadside marker that lists the distance to a particular location. These days, the word is more often used figuratively to refer to significant events in life, like graduating from college or getting married. It acts sort of like the road sign: it's often a moment when you reflect on where you stand in life. A milestone can also be a nonpersonal event that results in a big change, such as a milestone victory or a company's sales milestone.
Vocabulary lists containing milestone
Prisoner B-3087
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Nelson Mandela "I am Prepared to Die" (1964)
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History is made in PA: Clinton's DNC Acceptance Speech
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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.
When SpaceX's Starship lifted off from the Texas coast in the summer of 2023, it marked a milestone that aerospace engineers had discussed for decades but few expected to witness so soon.
From Science Daily • Jul. 11, 2026
Modi described the creation of the strategic partnership as a "milestone" that would inspire greater energy and confidence, as he was hosted by the New Zealand leader at Government House in Auckland.
From Barron's • Jul. 11, 2026
China launched and partially recovered a rocket, state media said, a milestone for Beijing’s space program as it competes with the U.S. and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
But the solo move marked a milestone achievement for Laija García, who had no designs of becoming an international musical marvel.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
Perched with his bum on the burning milestone.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
