cornerstone

/ˈkɔːnəstəʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɔːrnərstəʊn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkȯr-nər-ˌstōn/ (ame, mw)

cornerstone — noun

  • cornerstonesingular
  • cornerstonesplural

1. Something so essential that an entire system, organisation, or way of thinking c

1.名詞B2
釋義

Something so essential that an entire system, organisation, or way of thinking cannot function or survive without it.

例句

Trust between team members is the cornerstone of any successful project.

pattern: cornerstone + of + noun phrase

For Valentina, mutual respect was the cornerstone of her relationship with her partner.

同義詞
  • foundation

    more general; can be the base of anything physical or abstract

  • bedrock

    emphasises that the thing is fixed and unchanging; stronger than cornerstone

  • basis

    less emphatic; refers to a starting point rather than an essential support

文法句型

cornerstone + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Unlike the literal building-stone sense (sense 2), this sense never refers to a physical object. It is almost always followed by 'of' and an abstract noun phrase (e.g. 'cornerstone of democracy').

常見錯誤

❌Education is the corner stone of society.
✅Education is the cornerstone of society.
💡'cornerstone' is one word in both literal and figurative meanings.

2. The first stone set in place at the base of a new building, usually at an outer

2.名詞B2
釋義

The first stone set in place at the base of a new building, usually at an outer corner. It often has the building's completion date carved into it and is formally placed during a ceremony.

例句

The mayor placed the cornerstone of the new library during the opening ceremony.

collocation: placed + cornerstone

Each cornerstone was carved with the date and the name of the building's architect.

同義詞
  • foundation stone

    more common in British English for the same ceremonial object

  • keystone

    technically a different architectural element — the top centre stone of an arch, not the base

文法句型

cornerstone + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Often used in the phrase 'lay the cornerstone' to describe the formal ceremony that marks the start of construction.

常見錯誤

❌The building's corner stone was laid in 1999.
✅The building's cornerstone was laid in 1999.
💡'cornerstone' is a single compound word, not two separate words.