milestone

noun

mile·​stone ˈmī(-ə)l-ˌstōn How to pronounce milestone (audio)
Synonyms of milestone
1
: a stone serving as a milepost (see milepost sense 1)
2
: a significant point in development
Graduating from college was an important milestone in her life.

Illustration of milestone

Illustration of milestone
  • milestone 1

Synonyms of milestone

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Examples of milestone in a Sentence

the new drug was regarded as a milestone in the treatment of heart disease
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In March 2026, China approved the world’s first commercially available brain-computer interface medical device, a milestone that pointed to ambitions extending well beyond low-cost production or fast-follow imitation. — Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026 The achievement took place in his hometown in Hunan Province and marked a milestone for the founder of motorcycle manufacturer ZXMOTO. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026 Each draw is tied to Anthropic hitting certain compute capacity milestones. — Ashley Capoot,jordan Novet,annie Palmer,lora Kolodny,kai Nicol-Schwarz,caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 But Haslem’s rebounding record is a milestone that Adebayo has been chasing for a while. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for milestone

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of milestone was in 1662

Rhymes for milestone

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Browse Nearby Words

Milesian tale
milestone
mile-ton
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Cite this Entry

“Milestone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milestone. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

milestone

noun
mile·​stone ˈmī(ə)l-ˌstōn How to pronounce milestone (audio)
1
: a milepost made of stone
2
: an important point in progress or development
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