Dictionary

breakthrough en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹu/ (Canada, General-American)
• [ˈbɹeɪk.θɹɨ] (Canada, General-American) unrounded goose-fronting
• [ˈbɹeɪk.θɹʉ] (Canada, General-American) goose-fronting
• (Texas) audio
• /ˈbɹæɪk.θɹʉː/ (Australia, New-Zealand)

Etymology

From break + through. Compare German Durchbruch and Dutch doorbraak (“breakthrough”, literally “through-break”).

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Characterized by major progress or overcoming some obstacle.
   • a breakthrough technological advance
2. (not-comparable) Involving the contraction of a disease by a person with a decreased susceptibility, such as a person who has been vaccinated to help prevent that disease.
   • There is also growing evidence that while Omicron may cause many breakthrough cases among previously infected or previously vaccinated populations, the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease among them will be lower, they added. 2022 January 15, “In open letter, 30 doctors issue appeal against use of ‘unwarranted medications, diagnostics’”, in The Indian Express, WordPress, archived from the original on 15 Jan 2022:
   • Breakthrough infections (urine infections that develop in children on antibiotics) can occasionally occur, and if they do, different preventative antibiotics can be given or sometimes surgery to fix the leaky valve can be undertaken. a. 2005, “Brochure - Urinary Reflux”, in Renal Resource Centre, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2004:

Forms

Translations (17)

tr atılımsı (characterized by major progress) · fr décisif (characterized by major progress) · et läbimurre (characterized by major progress) · be прарыўны́ (characterized by major progress) · de durchschlagend (characterized by major progress) · de bahnbrechend (characterized by major progress) · he פורצת־דרך (characterized by major progress) · fi läpimurto- (characterized by major progress) · cs průlomový (characterized by major progress) · fr primordial (characterized by major progress) · fr capital (characterized by major progress) · pl przełomowy (characterized by major progress) · hu áttörő (characterized by major progress) · ru прорывно́й (characterized by major progress) · he פורץ־דרך (characterized by major progress) · bg пробивен (characterized by major progress) · uk проривни́й (characterized by major progress)

breakthrough en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹu/ (Canada, General-American)
• [ˈbɹeɪk.θɹɨ] (Canada, General-American) unrounded goose-fronting
• [ˈbɹeɪk.θɹʉ] (Canada, General-American) goose-fronting
• (Texas) audio
• /ˈbɹæɪk.θɹʉː/ (Australia, New-Zealand)

Etymology

From break + through. Compare German Durchbruch and Dutch doorbraak (“breakthrough”, literally “through-break”).

Meanings

1. An advance through and past enemy lines.
2. Any major progress; such as a great innovation or discovery that overcomes a significant obstacle.
   • "Secondly, we have to find more cost-effective ways of electrifying. And we've had a real breakthrough in the last couple of years in terms of bridge clearances and immunisation, meaning we've been able to take hundreds of millions of pounds off the cost of electrification. 2020 May 20, Andrew Haines talks to Stefanie Foster, “Repurpose rail for the 2020s”, in Rail, page 33:
   • Albert Einstein is credited with making some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern physics.
   • In [Raymond] Kurzweil’s future, biotechnology and nanotechnology give us the power to manipulate our bodies and the world around us at will, at the molecular level. Progress hyperaccelerates, and every hour brings a century’s worth of scientific breakthroughs. 2011 February 10, Lev Grossman, “2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Mar 2025:
3. The penetration of the opposition's defence.
   • But with the lively Dos Santos pulling the strings behind strikers Pavlyuchenko and Defoe, Spurs controlled the first half without finding the breakthrough their dominance deserved. 2011 September 29, Jon Smith, “Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 08 Dec 2022:
4. The penetration of a separating wall or the remaining distance to an adjacent hollow (a crosscut in mining) or between two parts of a tunnel build from both ends.
5. (attributive, sometimes) The emergence or one or more symptoms of a condition despite medication or other medical treatment.
   • She was on two antiepileptics for five years but then had a breakthrough seizure.
   • He was managing his discomfort with common painkillers, but one morning he had breakthrough pain causing him to miss work.

Forms

Deriveds

breakthrough bleeding

Synonyms

knockthrough

Translations (90)

pt brecha (military advance) · he פריצת־דרך (major progress) · tr delip geçme ((engineering) penetration of a physical barrier) · cs průlom (military advance) · nv bááhátis jííyá (major progress) · et läbimurre (military advance) · pl przełom ((medicine) the emergence or one or more symptoms of a condition despite medication) · ru проры́в ((sports) penetration of the opposition defence) · ja 突破 (major progress) · ka თავდაცვის ხაზის გარღვევა (military advance) · fr percée (military advance) · ka გარღვევა (major progress) · nl doorbraak (major progress) · pl przełom (major progress) · ko 돌파 (military advance) · mk пробив ((engineering) penetration of a physical barrier) · fr trouée ((sports) penetration of the opposition defence) · ka გარღვევითი ინოვაცია (major progress) · lv pārrāvums (military advance) · fi läpimurto (military advance) · sh про́бој (military advance) · ga urfhuascailt (major progress) · nl doorbraak (military advance) · cs průlom (major progress) · hu áttöréses ((medicine) the emergence or one or more symptoms of a condition despite medication) · es progreso considerable (major progress) · be прары́ў (military advance) · fr percée ((sports) penetration of the opposition defence) · pl punkt zwrotny (major progress) · et läbimurre (major progress) · it salto di qualità (major progress) · ar اِخْتِرَاق (military advance) · it breccia (military advance) · sl preboj (military advance) · de Durchbruch (military advance) · mk пробив (military advance) · pt avanço (major progress) · tr atılım (major progress) · bg пробив (major progress) · pl przełom (military advance) · ka გარღვევა (military advance) · hu áttörés (military advance) · de Durchbruch ((engineering) penetration of a physical barrier) · sh próboj (military advance) · es grosso adelanto (major progress) · ca progrés (major progress) · es jalón protagónico (major progress) · es éxito significativo (major progress) · sv genombrott (major progress) · ja 突破 (military advance) · es hito mayúsculo (major progress) · es abrir brecha (major progress) · cmn 突破 (major progress) · sv genombrott (military advance) · nb gjennombrudd (military advance) · es groso logro (major progress) · fr avancée (major progress) · bg про́бив (military advance) · da gennembrud ((engineering) penetration of a physical barrier) · mk продор ((sports) penetration of the opposition defence) · es brecha (military advance) · sk prelom (military advance) · uk прори́в (major progress) · fi läpimurto (major progress) · es gran avance (major progress) · es innovación significante (major progress) · pl wyłom ((sports) penetration of the opposition defence) · ka მნიშვნელოვანი მიღწევა (major progress) · de Durchbruch (major progress) · ar اِخْتِرَاق (major progress) · uk прори́в (military advance) · fr trouée (military advance) · nv bibazhdooyá (major progress) · ru проры́в (major progress) · da gennembrud (military advance) · mk продор ((engineering) penetration of a physical barrier) · mk продор (major progress) · tr delme ((engineering) penetration of a physical barrier) · pl przełom ((engineering) penetration of a physical barrier) · ca avenç (major progress) · fr percée (major progress) · de Durchstich ((engineering) penetration of a physical barrier) · mk продор (military advance) · da gennembrud (major progress) · mk пробив (major progress) · hu áttörés (major progress) · mk пробив ((sports) penetration of the opposition defence) · it svolta (major progress) · cmn 突破 (military advance) · ru проры́в (military advance)