Meanings
plural cornerstones · alternative corner stone
- A stone forming the base at the corner of a building.
Clutch it like a cornerstone Otherwise it all comes down Justify denials and Grip 'em to the lonesome end
2001, Tool, “The Grudge”, in Lateralus (progressive metal, alternative metal) - Such a stone used ceremonially, often inscribed with the architect's and owner's names, dates and other details.
The cornerstone on the Flatiron Building is set on the Fifth Avenue facade.
- figurativelyThat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central.
Exceptional service is the cornerstone of the hospitality industry.
2 more examples
That is the cornerstone of any meaningful debate about budgets and projects, regulations and policies.
Jewish immigrants came together with other foreign-born groups in organizations like the Industrial Workers of the World, helping to create one of the cornerstones of the American left.
2019 July 15, Greg Afinogenov, “The Jewish Case for Open Borders”, in Jewish Currents, number Summer 2019
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishcorner ston
- Englishcornerstone
From Middle English corner ston; equivalent to corner + stone. The figurative sense is in part after Psalm 118:22, and is also quoted several times in the New Testament.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic حجر أساس
- حجر أساسceremonial stone
Bulgarian крайъгълен камък, крайъгълен камък
- крайъгълен камък (krajăgălen kamăk)ceremonial stone
- крайъгълен камък (krajăgălen kamăk)that which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- крайъгълен камък (krajăgălen kamăk)base stone
Catalan pedra angular, pedra cantonera
- pedra angularthat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- pedra cantonerabase stone
Chinese Mandarin 奠基石, 基石
- 奠基石ceremonial stone
- 基石 (jīshí)ceremonial stone
- 基礎 /基础 (jīchǔ)that which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
Czech základní kámen, základ
- základní kámenceremonial stone
- základthat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- nárožní kámenbase stone
Danish grundsten
- grundstenceremonial stone
Dutch hoeksteen, hoeksteen
- hoeksteenceremonial stone
- hoeksteenbase stone
- steunpilaarbase stone
Esperanto angulŝtono, angulŝtono
- angulŝtonothat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- angulŝtonobase stone
Estonian nurgakivi
- nurgakiviceremonial stone
Finnish peruskivi, kulmakivi
- peruskiviceremonial stone
- kulmakivithat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- kulmakivibase stone
French pierre angulaire, première pierre
- pierre angulaireceremonial stone
- première pierreceremonial stone
- pierre angulairethat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- pierre d'anglethat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- pierre angulairebase stone
- pierre d'anglebase stone
German Grundstein, Eckpfeiler
- Grundsteinceremonial stone
- Eckpfeilerthat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- Ecksteinthat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- Ecksteinbase stone
Greek ακρογωνιαίος λίθος, ακρογωνιαίος λίθος
- ακρογωνιαίος λίθος (akrogoniaíos líthos)that which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- ακρογωνιαίος λίθος (akrogoniaíos líthos)base stone
Hebrew אבן פינה
- אבן פינהceremonial stone
Hungarian sarokkő, sarokkő
- sarokkőthat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- sarokkőbase stone
Icelandic hornsteinn
- hornsteinnceremonial stone
Italian pietra angolare, fondamenta
- pietra angolareceremonial stone
- fondamentathat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- pietra angolarebase stone
- pietra d'angolobase stone
Japanese 礎石, 礎
- 礎石 (soseki)ceremonial stone
- 礎 (ishizue)base stone
Lithuanian kertinis akmuo
- kertinis akmuoceremonial stone
Norwegian Bokmål hjørnestein, hjørnestein
- hjørnesteinceremonial stone
- hjørnesteinthat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
Persian سنگبنا, پی
- سنگبنا (sang-banâ)that which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- پی (pey)base stone
- بنیاد (bonyâd)base stone
- سنگ پی (sang-e pey)base stone
Polish kamień węgielny, kamień węgielny
- kamień węgielnyceremonial stone
- kamień węgielnythat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- kamień węgielnybase stone
Portuguese primeira pedra, pedra angular
- primeira pedraceremonial stone
- pedra angularceremonial stone
- fundamentothat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- princípiothat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- basethat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
Romanian piatră de temelie
- piatră de temelieceremonial stone
Russian краеуго́льный ка́мень, краеуго́льный ка́мень
- краеуго́льный ка́мень (krajeugólʹnyj kámenʹ)ceremonial stone
- краеуго́льный ка́мень (krajeugólʹnyj kámenʹ)that which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- краеуго́льный ка́мень (krajeugólʹnyj kámenʹ)base stone
Spanish piedra angular, primera piedra
- piedra angularceremonial stone
- primera piedraceremonial stone
- fundamentothat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- piedra angularbase stone
Tagalog batong-panulukan, panulukang-bato
- batong-panulukanceremonial stone
- panulukang-batothat which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- panulukang-batobase stone
Turkish köşe taşı
- köşe taşıbase stone
Ukrainian нарі́жний ка́мінь, нарі́жний ка́мінь
- нарі́жний ка́мінь (narížnyj káminʹ)ceremonial stone
- нарі́жний ка́мінь (narížnyj káminʹ)that which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central
- нарі́жний ка́мінь (narížnyj káminʹ)base stone
Vietnamese viên đá đầu tiên
- viên đá đầu tiênceremonial stone
Welsh conglfaen, conglfaen
- conglfaenceremonial stone
- conglfaenbase stone
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
cornerstone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cornerstone
“cornerstone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cornerstone. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cornerstone,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cornerstone.
Source: cornerstone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.