adjective
groundbreaking
GROWND-bray-kihng
adjective
1
New and innovative; doing something that hasn't been done before.
"The study was groundbreaking in how it treated the disease."
noun
1
A ceremony marking the start of construction on a building.
"The mayor attended the groundbreaking for the new hospital."
How to Use Groundbreaking
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething highly original and pioneering, or the ceremony that kicks off a building project.
Common pairings
groundbreaking research
groundbreaking discovery
hold a groundbreaking ceremony
Word Forms
more groundbreaking comparative, groundbreakings plural, most groundbreaking superlative
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Etymology
From ground plus breaking, referring to the literal breaking of ground at the start of a construction project.