CORNERSTONE


Meaning of CORNERSTONE in English

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

• • •

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.

|

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.

|

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.

|

NATO remains a cornerstone of defence policy for Europe.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.