breakthrough

[ breyk-throo ]

noun

1. a military movement or advance all the way through and beyond an enemy's frontline defense.
2. an act or instance of removing or surpassing an obstruction or restriction; the overcoming of a stalemate:

   The president reported a breakthrough in the treaty negotiations.

3. any significant or sudden advance, development, achievement, or increase, as in scientific knowledge or diplomacy, that removes a barrier to progress:

   The jet engine was a major breakthrough in air transport.

4. Medicine/Medical. an infection, disease, disorder, or condition that occurs in an individual despite their having received a vaccine, medication, or treatment:

   Covid breakthroughs are usually less severe than infections in unvaccinated people, indicating that the vaccine is still doing its job of combating the virus.

adjective

1. constituting a breakthrough: Critics called it a breakthrough film.

   Their products are engineered with breakthrough technology.

   Critics called it a breakthrough film.

2. Medicine/Medical. relating to or being an infection, disease, disorder, or condition that occurs as a breakthrough: She experienced disabling breakthrough pain despite the high dose of painkillers she was taking.

   In the original vaccine trial, 89% of breakthrough infections were with a particular family of virus strains.

   She experienced disabling breakthrough pain despite the high dose of painkillers she was taking.

Word History and Origins

Origin of breakthrough¹

First recorded in 1915–20; noun use of verb phrase break through

Example Sentences

“It is unfortunate that these conspiracy theories are muddying the water on an issue where we need a lot of consensus, a lot of clarity,” said Matteo Mirolo, from Breakthrough Energy, and one of the organisers of the COP29 discussion about the contrails.

From BBC

A breakthrough came in October 2021 when more than 18,500 fans watched Hammarby beat local rivals AIK at Tele2 Arena, home of the Hammarby and Djurgardens men's teams.

From BBC

Zheng Qinwen continued her breakthrough season with victory over Barbora Krejcikova to reach the final of the season-ending WTA Finals.

From BBC

If Reform does win seats in 2026, it would mark another anti-establishment breakthrough for Farage in Cardiff Bay.

From BBC

As the investigation wore on Kate says she remembers when officers, growing increasingly desperate for a breakthrough, searched the home of every man in the town.

From BBC

Related Words

• boost
• development
• discovery
• finding
• gain
• hike
• improvement
• leap
• progress