Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A stone marker set up on a roadside to indicate the distance in miles from a given point.
  • noun An important event, as in a child's development, the history of a nation, or the advancement of knowledge in a field; a turning point.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A stone or pillar set up along a highway or other line of travel to mark distance in miles.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A stone serving the same purpose as a milepost.
  • noun An event or accomplishment marking a significant advance in an endeavor; a notable achievment.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A stone milepost (or by extension in other materials), one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road at regular intervals, typically at the side of the road or in a median.
  • noun An important event in a person's life or career, in the history of a nation, in the life of some project etc.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun stone post at side of a road to show distances
  • noun a significant event in your life (or in a project)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

mile +‎ stone.

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Examples

  • Alas, our poor little 'inscription,' so far as I remember it, was not more criminal than that of a number on a milestone; in fact the whole adventure was like that of setting up an authentic _milestone_ in a tract of country

    Letters of Edward FitzGerald in Two Volumes Vol. II Edward FitzGerald 1846

  • Analysts say the milestone is a “confidence booster” and “reinforces the growing belief on Wall Street that the recovery in the economy and markets remains on track.”

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: April 13, 2010 2010

  • Analysts say the milestone is a “confidence booster” and “reinforces the growing belief on Wall Street that the recovery in the economy and markets remains on track.”

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: April 13, 2010 2010

  • Analysts say the milestone is a “confidence booster” and “reinforces the growing belief on Wall Street that the recovery in the economy and markets remains on track.”

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: April 13, 2010 2010

  • Analysts say the milestone is a “confidence booster” and “reinforces the growing belief on Wall Street that the recovery in the economy and markets remains on track.”

    Think Progress » ThinkFast: April 13, 2010 2010

  • Congraulations Scott, I think this milestone is a testament to all your hard work.

    EXTRALIFE – By Scott Johnson - 900 Pounds Heavier and 7 Years Older 2008

  • An African Union official is hailing what he called a milestone for peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.

    CNN Transcript Feb 16, 2008 2008

  • Mrs Clinton urged members of the group to abandon violence and rejoin society following bin Laden's death, which she described as a "milestone" in the war on terrorism.

    WalesOnline - Home 2011

  • Tunica County Planning Director Pepper Bradford said the last sections of the community will be opened sometime Monday in what he called a milestone for the roughly 225 households that are permanent residences in a series of fishing camps.

    msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines 2011

  • Even so, proponents of same-sex marriage celebrated the judge's ruling, taking to the streets of Phoenix to hail what they called a milestone in their quest for equal treatment.

    azcentral.com | news 2010

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