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Breakthrough vs Penetration - What's the difference?

breakthrough | penetration |

As nouns the difference between breakthrough and penetration

is that breakthrough is an advance through and past enemy lines while penetration is the act of penetrating something.

As an adjective breakthrough

is characterized by major progress or overcoming some obstacle.

breakthrough

English

Alternative forms

* breakthru

Adjective

(-)
  • Characterized by major progress or overcoming some obstacle.
    • a breakthrough technological advance

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (military) An advance through and past enemy lines.
  • Any major progress; such as a great innovation or discovery that overcomes a significant obstacle.
    • .
  • (sports) The penetration of the opposition defence
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=September 29 , author=Jon Smith , title=Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=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.}}

    Derived terms

    * breakthrough pain

    penetration

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of penetrating something.
    • Any penetration , however slight, is sufficient to complete the offense.
  • Specifically, the insertion of the penis (or similar object) during sexual intercourse.
  • The act of penetrating a given situation with the mind or faculties; perception, discernment.
  • * 1817 , (Walter Scott), Rob Roy , XVI:
    • my observations of her looks and actions became acutely sharpened, and that to a degree which, notwithstanding my efforts to conceal it, could not escape her penetration .
  • A number or fraction that represents how many cards/decks will be dealt before shuffling, in contrast to the total number of cards/decks in play.

    • Derived terms

    * double penetration * interpenetration