milestone

[mahyl-stohn]

See more synonyms for milestone on Thesaurus.com

noun

a stone functioning as a milepost.
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.

Origin of milestone

First recorded in 1740–50; mile + stone

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for milestone

anniversary, breakthrough, landmark, occasion, event, discovery, milepost

Examples from the Web for milestone

Contemporary Examples of milestone

That would truly be a milestone to celebrate—until you see what that record “diversity” actually means.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress
Dean Obeidallah
January 8, 2015
In fact, with my most recent birthday, I passed the milestone of having come out of the closet over half my lifetime ago.
Doctors Are Failing Their Gay Patients
Russell Saunders
September 27, 2014
The moment he was finally able to loop a knot by himself was a milestone, his first step to becoming a man.
Miami’s Chris Bosh Goes High Fashion
Justin Jones
August 13, 2014
The first milestone: a referendum on January 14 and 15 to approve a new constitution.
Egypt’s Arab Spring Gives Way To Spring Of The Patriarch
Christopher Dickey
January 10, 2014
Reiss called the Upton shot a “milestone,” though he noted the company has been fortunate to have more than one.
The Cult of Canada Goose
Keli Goff
December 23, 2013

Historical Examples of milestone

A few minutes later we found poor Villaret seated on a milestone.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
Ten minutes beyond Soof we had a Roman milestone lying at our feet.
Byeways in Palestine
James Finn
He sat down on the first milestone in the road, and meditated with his head in his hands.
If Winter Don't
Barry Pain
There is a rugged circular font, and what is supposed to be a Roman milestone.
The Cornwall Coast
Arthur L. Salmon
She sat in the carridge as silent as a milestone, and as madd as a march Air.
Burlesques
William Makepeace Thackeray

British Dictionary definitions for milestone

milestone

noun

a stone pillar that shows the distance in miles to or from a place
a significant event in life, history, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for milestone

1746, from mile + stone (n.).