cornerstone
Use Cornerstone in a sentence
nərˌstoʊn 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To cornerstone
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Cornerstone
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
cornerstone (ˈkɔːnəˌstəʊn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 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 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
cornerstone
"I endorse without reserve the much abused sentiment of Governor M'Duffie, that "Slavery is the corner-stone of our republican edifice;" while I repudiate, as ridiculously absurd, that much lauded but nowhere accredited dogma of Mr. Jefferson, that "all men are born equal." No society has ever yet existed, and I have already incidentally quoted the highest authority to show that none ever will exist, without a natural variety of classes." [James H. Hammond, "Letter to an English Abolitionist" 1845]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Merrill is seen as a cornerstone of a strategic push into new markets.
Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility.
That's why he prizes stability and economic development as his cornerstone.
Before long, kin selection was a cornerstone of evolutionary biology.
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