Definitions

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

  • noun A stone at the corner of a building uniting two intersecting walls; a quoin.
  • noun Such a stone, often inscribed, laid at a ceremony marking the origin of a building.
  • noun An indispensable and fundamental basis.

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

  • noun A ceremonial stone set at the corner of a building, joining two exterior walls, and often inscribed with the starting and completion dates of construction, the name of the architect and owner, and other details.
  • noun By extension, that which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central.

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

  • noun a stone at the outer corner of two intersecting masonry walls
  • noun the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained
  • noun a stone in the exterior of a large and important building; usually carved with a date and laid with appropriate ceremonies

Etymologies

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Examples

  • That's what prompted President Roosevelt to launch the Social Security system in 1935, to create what he called the cornerstone of a civilized society.

    Remarks By The President On Social Security ITY National Archives 1998

  • America and its allies gear up for their big fight of the summer-to extend control over the southern province of Kandahar, which they call the cornerstone of the counterinsurgency campaign-the Taliban have been on a killing spree.

    The Economist: Correspondent's diary 2010

  • And that less visibility basically is sort of the right sort of the, what I call the cornerstone of [which drove the] guidance.

    Telecom Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha 2010

  • "Safeguarding the livelihood of the people should be the ruling party's long-term cornerstone," Mr. Bo said in a speech late last month.

    China Executes Chongqing's Former Justice Chief 2010

  • We should be fostering faith -- and any attempts to explain our beliefs without that core value as its cornerstone is doomed to fail.

    Archive 2006-06-01 Andrew Beckner 2006

  • We should be fostering faith -- and any attempts to explain our beliefs without that core value as its cornerstone is doomed to fail.

    Knowing The TRUTH Andrew Beckner 2006

  • When a bull market returns, the will to transform what some dub the cornerstone of Japan's capitalist system will surely evaporate.

    Forcing Japan's Banks to Unload Stocks 2008

  • The cornerstone is to have a MAJORITY of honest cops, first, or it won't work.

    Mexico Readies Crackdown on Bribery 2003

  • For example, we are installing scrubbers on our coal-fired plant at Belledune, we have passed the Clean Water Act, we have produced a new energy policy, whose cornerstone is efficiency and conservation, and we have introduced the most progressive beverage container legislation in the country.

    A National Vision 1991

  • "She was known as the cornerstone of the unit," Collins said.

    StarTribune.com rss feed 2011

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