Idiom
stepping stone
Meaning
Something used as a way to progress to something or somewhere else.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“This job is just a stepping stone to my future career.”
“She viewed her internship as a valuable stepping stone toward getting a permanent position at the company.”
“Although the entry-level role offered little pay, he accepted it as a necessary stepping stone to gain the experience required for his dream job.”
Examples
simple
“This job is just a stepping stone to my future career.”
contextual
“She viewed her internship as a valuable stepping stone toward getting a permanent position at the company.”
complex
“Although the entry-level role offered little pay, he accepted it as a necessary stepping stone to gain the experience required for his dream job.”
Origin
The term is first attested circa 1325 in its literal capacity. It was not until circa 1653 that the expression was first used in a figurative sense.
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated