milestone
Americannoun
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milestones
plural
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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.
See Examples For:
Rasonque, a new therapy from Revolution Medicine, is a milestone for treating a mutation that made pancreatic cancer a death sentence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Outside of major affordability challenges, young adults are also forming families later than in previous generations, a milestone that historically has been associated with homeownership.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
He reached the 100-try milestone in just 68 matches after his switch from union.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs is scheduled to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday at the historic theater, marking a major milestone for a project that began the first phase of construction in 2011.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Five years after my family moved to America, we had a major milestone: We were allowed to apply for United States citizenship.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
People with dementia and Alzheimer’s diagnoses and their caregivers also must weigh other big milestones such as stopping driving, quitting a job or handing over management of household finances, Tan said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Rachel Hinken long wondered why her son, Oliver, seemed to be missing key growth milestones, including speech and walking delays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Blue Origin is now working through additional integration milestones ahead of the lander's next round of testing.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
Though no longer neighbors, we’re still navigating life’s milestones in our own corners of Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“I had no father at graduations, milestones, my wedding. “I lost out on a whole relationship in high school, middle school, college, without a father.”
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
