launchpad

noun

launch·​pad ˈlȯnch-ˌpad 

ˈlänch-

variants or launch pad or less commonly launching pad

plural launchpads or launch pads also launching pads

1

: a nonflammable platform from which a rocket (such as a missile or a launch vehicle) can be launched

… a launchpad for smallish research rockets …

—David Quammen

… engineers weren't able to immediately troubleshoot the issue. Eventually the capsule had to be rolled back from the launch pad.

—AirGuide Business

It [an unmanned aircraft] requires no infrastructure, such as runways, launching pads or recovery devices.

—Sam Davis

(figurative) Keep tree branches pruned back at least 4 feet from the nearest adjacent tree or structure—8 feet if the squirrel's potential launchpad (including power lines) is higher than the tree.

—Sunset Magazine

2

: something (such as a place or event) that is suitable or favorable for growth, development, etc : springboard

… the [book's] extensive references provide a good launchpad for additional research.

—Daniel Grassam

Success at the Olympic Games has long been the launch pad for a professional career …

—Gareth A Davies

Another function of the farmers' market within the town is serving as a launching pad for new businesses.

—Danielle Sottosanti

Examples of launchpad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, the rocket booster heads back to the ground while firing its engines and using its fins to slow and control its descent to land vertical about two miles from the launchpad. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026

Star Search originally ran from 1983 to 1995, and was a launchpad for soon-to-be-superstars like Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Dave Chappelle, Rosie O'Donnell, Adam Sandler and many more. —Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026

College graduates earn significantly higher lifetime incomes, have access to better healthcare, and are far more likely to achieve upward social mobility — because their degrees serve as proxies for experience and are favored by employers, these credentials are career launchpads. —CBS News, 19 Jan. 2026

April through October, Friday and Saturday nights are filled with live bluegrass music at the Historic Courthouse Square, a great launchpad for exploring downtown’s antique stores and music shops. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

launchpad

noun

launch·​pad ˈlȯnch-ˌpad 

ˈlänch-

: a nonflammable platform from which a rocket can be launched

called also launching pad