stepping stone

noun

variants or less commonly stepping-stone

ˈste-piŋ-ˌstōn 

plural stepping stones also stepping-stones

1

: a stone on which to step (as in crossing a stream or following a path)

We filled our water bottles in a large, clear lake set in smooth granite, crossed a stream using stepping stones, and started up a winding path that rose to a series of switchbacks.

—Joshua Rothman

As in a Japanese garden, where stepping-stones force you to savor your stroll, you must watch every step and wind your way around the Japanese pines and beach grasses.

—Stephen Drucker

2

: a means of progress or advancement

a stepping stone to success

But now many more see a political job as a stepping stone to money, power and influence.

—Barbara Gamarekian

Each person I talked to was to be a stepping-stone to the overall plan. It was my job to educate them so they would take their natural places in the plan.

—Jane Smiley

Examples of stepping stone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Viewing the state Capitol as a stepping stone back to the White House could be politically fatal. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025

The data revealed that whale sharks tend to follow paths that connect key feeding grounds, with seamounts and industrial infrastructure acting as stepping stones along their journey. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

Often seen as a stepping stone for drivers hoping to advance to higher levels of NASCAR competition, the series includes two main championships: the PRO Championship, which is the top tier, and the OPEN Championship, which offers broader accessibility to various drivers. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025

However, some aspects of Artemis, such as the Gateway, which seeks to establish a space station in lunar orbit as a stepping stone to landing astronauts on the moon, could be in the new administration's crosshairs over cost and delays. —Andrew Jones, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2025

These include positions such as EMTs, electricians, and bank tellers, which often serve as stepping stones to managerial positions or six-figure salaries. —Morgan Smith, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025

Both parties must fully implement this agreement, as a stepping stone toward lasting stability in the region and a diplomatic resolution of the conflict. —Megan Forrester, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2025

For example, non-alcoholic beer could provide adolescents a stepping stone to the consumption of alcoholic beer. —Discover Magazine, 30 Dec. 2024

Scientists believe this adaptation could also be an evolutionary stepping stone toward more terrestrial behavior in other species. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stepping-stone

noun

step·​ping-stone

ˈstep-iŋ-ˌstōn

1

: a stone on which to step (as in crossing a stream)

2

: something aiding in progress or advancement

a stepping-stone to success