breakthrough /ˈbɹeɪk.θɹuː/noun 5adjective 2forms 1 noun5 •An advance through and past enemy lines. •Any major progress; such as a great innovation or discovery that overcomes a significant obstacle.Albert Einstein is credited with making some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern physics. •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 •[before a noun] 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. •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. adjective2 •Characterized by major progress or overcoming some obstacle. •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. formsbreakthroughs
