CORNERSTONE


Meaning of CORNERSTONE in English

ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun

Etymology: Middle English cornerston, from corner + ston stone

1. : a stone forming a part of a corner or angle in a wall and especially lying at the foundation of a principal angle ; specifically : such a stone laid at the formal inauguration of the erection of a building, usually inscribed with the date or other matters, and often hollowed out to receive records, documents, or relics

2. : the event, fact, or thing that forms the principal foundation or support upon which an achievement is based or from which a development makes its beginning

this first bill is the cornerstone of the administration's economic policy

: the principal or fundamental element, feature, or part of something

natural selection remains the cornerstone of evolutionary theory — E.W.Sinnott

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.