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

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
The showroom marks a milestone for the formerly digital-only brand, giving customers an in-person way to experience its products and reflects Lulu and Georgia’s roots in Los Angeles. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 Hao feels that the WWE partnership represents a milestone for ReelShort, and portends well for the future of working with other major brands. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 Rentrak points out that 2026 hit the $8 billion mark in 282 days, matching the exact pace of 2011 and reaching that milestone a full 59 days earlier than in 2025. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026 However early the experiment might be, the launch is a milestone for an emerging technology that has the potential to help meet AI’s growing demand for compute while avoiding the constraints on resources like power, water, and land on Earth. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 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

See All Rhymes for milestone

Browse Nearby Words

Milesian tale
milestone
mile-ton
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Milestone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milestone. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All