Meanings
- idiomatic(used imitatively) A cliché used to exaggerate an accomplishment or milestone.
Origin
Spoken by Neil Armstrong when he first stepped onto the surface of the Moon. Armstrong intended to say "one small step for a man", but misspoke.http://www.snopes.com/quotes/onesmall.asp
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20small%20step%20for%20man%2C%20one%20giant%20leap%20for%20mankind
“one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20small%20step%20for%20man%2C%20one%20giant%20leap%20for%20mankind. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20small%20step%20for%20man%2C%20one%20giant%20leap%20for%20mankind.
Source: one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.