cor ‧ ner ‧ stone /ˈkɔːnəstəʊn $ ˈkɔːrnərstoʊn/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . something that is extremely important because everything else depends on it
cornerstone of
The magazine became the cornerstone of McFadden’s publishing empire.
2 . a stone at one of the bottom corners of a building, often put in place at a special ceremony SYN foundation stone
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THESAURUS
▪ basis the facts, ideas, things etc from which something can be developed:
His work will be used as a basis for future research.
▪ foundation the thing on which something is based, especially something important that continues for a long time:
Their ideas were the foundation for the political system that exists in the UK today.
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How can we provide a solid foundation for world peace?
▪ bedrock the most important thing that something depends on in order to be successful:
Honesty is the bedrock of any healthy relationship.
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Labour’s traditional bedrock of support is among the working classes.
▪ cornerstone the most important thing that something depends on in order to be successful, especially in business and politics:
Confidence is the cornerstone of our business.
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NATO remains a cornerstone of defence policy for Europe.