51Թ

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View synonyms for

cornerstone

[ kawr-ner-stohn ]

noun

  1. a stone uniting two masonry walls at an intersection.
  2. a stone representing the nominal starting place in the construction of a monumental building, usually carved with the date and laid with appropriate ceremonies.
  3. something that is essential, indispensable, or basic:

    The cornerstone of democratic government is a free press.

  4. the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed:

    The cornerstone of his argument was that all people are created equal.



cornerstone

/ ˈɔːəˌəʊ /

noun

  1. a stone at the corner of a wall, uniting two intersecting walls; quoin
  2. a stone placed at the corner of a building during a ceremony to mark the start of construction
  3. a person or thing of prime importance; basis

    the cornerstone of the whole argument

“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
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of cornerstone1

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; corner, stone
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

In poring over a handful of church and community cookbooks, those quiet cornerstones of real home cooking, the variations feel endless.

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A cornerstone of President Donald Trump's immigration policy is removing unlawful migrants from the US, with the promise of "mass deportations".

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Here in Britain this remains a cornerstone of the junction between politics and economics.

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Considered the cornerstone of US-Africa economic relations, the aim was to help industrialise the continent, create employment and lift dozens of countries out of poverty.

From

With solar panels, metal scaffolding and cornerstones, they began constructing their vision for a sovereign micronation that they planned to call Autopia — the place that builds itself.

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