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
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.
Officials have framed the mission as both a technical milestone and a proof of concept for the systems needed to safely transport astronauts beyond low Earth orbit and back again.
From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026
Immunologist Professor James McCluskey from the University of Melbourne and the Peter Doherty Institute called the work a major scientific milestone.
From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026
“This symbolic milestone reinforces Tesla’s autonomy lead,” Percoco wrote in a Friday note to clients.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
Gilead will pay an initial $3.15 billion in cash for Tubulis, with up to $1.85 billion in contingent milestone payments.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
I’ve had the surgery, and I’ve been in physical therapy for months, I’ve been hitting every milestone.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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.
