set in stone

adjective

Permanent; certain; firm.

“The decision won't be set in stone until we release the documents.”

Similar
carved in stonewritten in stoneunchangeable
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Meanings

adjective
  1. idiomaticPermanent; certain; firm.

    The decision won't be set in stone until we release the documents.

    1 more example

    So what is it that makes SBB (Swiss national railways) tick? In my humble opinion, two things. Firstly, a comprehensive and set-in-stone integrated timetable (incorporating trains, ferries, cable cars and buses, including the world-famous yellow 'post-autos'), compiled four years in advance and which gets tested twice before it becomes operational.

    2025 October 15, Vitali Vitaliev, “The recipe for Swiss bliss”, in RAIL, number 1046, page 68

    Synonyms: carved in stone, written in stone

verbset in stone (third-person singular simple present sets in stone, present participle setting in stone, simple past and past participle set in stone)

present singular third person sets in stone · participle present setting in stone

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo render something permanent, certain, or firm.

    The plan looks good, but don't set it in stone until we have discussed it a bit more.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivePermanent; certain; firm.

Similar
carved in stonewritten in stone

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveno longer changeable

Similar
carved in stoneunchangeable
Also see
carved in stoneunchangeablewritten in stone

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Catalan dat i beneït
  • dat i beneïtpermanent
Chinese Mandarin 一成不變 /一成不变, 一成不变
  • 一成不變 /一成不变 (yīchéngbùbiàn)permanent
  • 一成不变 (yīchéngbùbiàn)to make permanent
Dutch in steen gebeiteld, in steen beitelen
  • in steen gebeiteldpermanent
  • in steen beitelento make permanent
Estonian kivisse raiutud
  • kivisse raiutudpermanent
Finnish kiveen kirjoitettu
  • kiveen kirjoitettupermanent
French gravé dans le marbre, graver dans le marbre
  • gravé dans le marbrepermanent
  • graver dans le marbreto make permanent
German in Stein gemeißelt
  • in Stein gemeißeltpermanent
Hungarian kőbe vésve, kőbe vés
  • kőbe vésvepermanent
  • kőbe vésto make permanent
Japanese 固定する, 石に置く
  • 固定するto make permanent
  • 石に置くto make permanent
  • 石に設定するto make permanent
Romanian bătut în cuie, bate în cuie
  • bătut în cuiepermanent
  • bate în cuieto make permanent
Russian увековечить в камне
  • увековечить в камне (uvekovečitʹ v kamne)to make permanent
Swedish skrivet i stenet
  • skrivet i stenetpermanent
Urdu پتھر میں لکیر ...
  • پتھر میں لکیر ... (patthar mē̃ lakīr ...)permanent
Cite this entry
APA

set in stone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/set%20in%20stone

MLA

“set in stone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/set%20in%20stone. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “set in stone,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/set%20in%20stone.

Source: set in stone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.