foundation stone

noun

1

: a stone in the foundation of a building

especially : such a stone laid with public ceremony compare cornerstone

2

: basis, groundwork

Examples of foundation stone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1948, the telescopes and astronomers of Greenwich - including the vast bulk of the Great Equatorial Telescope - began relocating to the village of Herstmonceux some 60 miles from where Flamsteed had set the foundation stone for the first Royal Observatory in 1675. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 June 2025

Literacy is the foundation stone of critical thinking. —Luke Berryman, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025

The foundation stone for the 1.4 gigawatt Gorakhpur plant in the state of Haryana was laid in 2014, for instance, yet it is not expected to produce a single joule of energy until 2032 — 18 years later. —Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2025

King Charles' grandfather, King George VI, laid the foundation stone when the hospital was rebuilt in 1928, and though the medical hub shuttered in 2005, the chapel remains open to the public today as a place of meditation. —Janine Henni, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for foundation stone

• aldosterone
• anticyclone
• progesterone
• testosterone
• acetone
• anglophone
• baritone
• bourguignon
• buspirone
• chaperon
• chaperone
• cobblestone