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Meaning & use

a birthday a milestone

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ə ˈbɜːθdeɪ ə ˈmaɪlstəʊn/
US/ə ˈbɜːrθdeɪ ə ˈmaɪlstoʊn/

Meaning

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    A birthday is called a milestone when the age reached is seen as an important stage in life, such as 18, 21, 30, 50 or 100.

    Grammar: Used as a statement or as part of a question: 'Is a 50th birthday a milestone?' — the answer is usually yes.

    Patterns

    • a milestone birthday
    • Is a birthday a milestone?
    • turn a milestone age

    Many people feel that a 21st birthday is a milestone, while an ordinary birthday is just a family dinner.

    In our family, a 50th birthday is a milestone and everyone travels home for it.

    Is a birthday a milestone? Only the big round numbers really feel that way to me.

Common combinations

a milestone birthday
She threw a big party for her milestone birthday.
reach a milestone
He reached a milestone when he turned 65.
a big birthday
Turning 40 is a big birthday for a lot of people.
celebrate a milestone
They celebrated the milestone with a trip abroad.

Synonyms and how they differ

a landmark birthday
Very close in meaning, but 'landmark' is a little more formal and slightly less common in speech than 'milestone'.
a significant birthday
A plainer description rather than a fixed expression; it can refer to any birthday that matters to the person.

Opposites

an ordinary birthday

Word family

milestone noun
An important event or stage in a process or in someone's life.

Commonly confused: a birthday a milestone or anniversary?

a birthday a milestone vs anniversary

An anniversary marks the same date each year after an event such as a wedding, while a birthday marks the date someone was born.

Practice

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