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

Zelensky has also warned that territory conceded to Russia would simply be used as a springboard for further invasions, as happened with Crimea, illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014, and used as a launchpad for the full-scale war in 2022. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025

Here’s how students can treat the back-to-school season not as a return to routine, but as a launchpad for standing out. —Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Reykjavik is a quirky, colorful and surprisingly cosmopolitan outpost on the edge of the Arctic that offers much more than a launchpad to Iceland’s volcanic landscapes. —New York Times, 24 July 2025

Colbert got his start in Chicago's Second City Comedy Troupe, which also was the launchpad for such famous faces as Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, John Candy, Steve Carrell, Mike Myers and many more. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 19 July 2025

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