milestone

/ˈmaɪlstəʊn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmaɪlstəʊn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmī(-ə)l-ˌstōn/ (ame, mw)

milestone — noun

  • milestonesingular
  • milestonesplural

1. a major achievement or event that marks a significant point of progress or chang

1.名詞B2
釋義

a major achievement or event that marks a significant point of progress or change in a person's life, a country's history, or an organization's development

例句

Winning the national judo championship was a major milestone in Sora's athletic career.

milestone in [someone]'s [domain]

The 1994 peace agreement marked a milestone in the country's journey toward democracy.

同義詞
  • landmark

    broader term; can describe notable places or historic events without implying measurable progress

  • turning point

    emphasises a change in direction or outcome more than achievement itself

  • breakthrough

    implies sudden progress after overcoming an obstacle or difficulty

反義詞
  • setback

    an event that causes delay or reverses progress toward a goal

用法筆記

Frequently used with verbs such as 'mark', 'reach', 'represent', and 'become'. Common modifiers include 'major', 'important', 'significant', and 'personal'.

常見錯誤

❌He reached a milestone when he finished reading the book.
✅He reached a milestone when he published his first novel.
💡A milestone should mark a truly significant turning point, not just completing a routine task.

2. a new skill or ability that a child learns at a predictable age, such as walking

2.名詞B2
釋義

a new skill or ability that a child learns at a predictable age, such as walking, talking, or using a spoon for the first time

例句

Taking a first step is an exciting milestone in a baby's physical development.

Mei-Lin's mother recorded every developmental milestone her daughter reached during the first year.

reach a developmental milestone

同義詞
  • developmental stage

    more clinical and less celebratory; refers to a period rather than a single achievement

用法筆記

Commonly appears with the possessive ('a baby's milestones', 'a child's milestones') or the adjective 'developmental'. The verb 'reach' is the standard collocate.

常見錯誤

❌The baby reached her first milestone of smiling at two months.
✅Smiling is one of the early developmental milestones for babies.
💡Saying 'first milestone' is redundant when referring to specific developmental stages; use 'early milestone' instead.

3. a clearly defined checkpoint or target within a project or plan that allows team

3.名詞B2
釋義

a clearly defined checkpoint or target within a project or plan that allows teams to measure how much work has been completed toward the final goal

例句

The design team passed the first milestone of the building project two weeks early.

pass a milestone / project milestone

Kenji set clear milestones so the renovation crew could track their weekly progress.

同義詞
  • checkpoint

    more specific to tracking tasks and deadlines; less celebratory in tone

  • target

    emphasises the planned, numerical nature of the goal

  • benchmark

    focuses on a standard used for comparison or evaluation

用法筆記

Common in project-management and business contexts. Frequently paired with verbs such as 'set', 'pass', 'reach', 'hit', and 'review'.

常見錯誤

❌We have five milestones in this two-week project.
✅We have five key checkpoints in this two-week project.
💡For short timelines or small targets, 'checkpoint' or 'deadline' is more natural; 'milestone' implies a major stage.

4. a stone marker placed beside a road or path that tells travellers the distance t

4.名詞C1
釋義

a stone marker placed beside a road or path that tells travellers the distance to nearby towns or cities, originally set at intervals of one mile

例句

An old milestone beside the country lane still showed the distance to the nearest town.

Sofia photographed the weathered milestone that had stood by the road for over two centuries.

weathered milestone / stood by the road

同義詞
  • milepost

    a signpost showing miles or kilometres; more common in American English