noun
milestone
MYLS-tohn
noun
1
A marker placed beside a road showing the distance to a destination.
"An old stone milestone stood at the edge of the village."
2
An important event or stage of progress in a project, career, or life.
"Getting the funding approved was a major milestone for the company."
"Her first solo flight was a milestone she never forgot."
How to Use Milestone
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA marker of distance on a road, or, much more commonly today, a big step of progress worth noting.
Common pairings
reach a milestone
major milestone
developmental milestone
project milestones
Word Forms
milestoned past tense, milestones plural, milestones singular
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An old stone _____ stood at the edge of the village.
Etymology
Literally "mile" plus "stone" — from the old practice of setting stone markers at mile intervals along roads.