Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Fixed, unchangeable, permanent: Describes a plan, decision, rule, or arrangement that is final and cannot be altered. It implies a state of being rigidly established, as if carved into stone.

Usage

• This phrase is almost always used in the negative ("not set in stone") to indicate that something is still flexible or open to change.
• It can also be used in the positive form to emphasize that a decision is absolutely final and non-negotiable.
• It is commonly used in discussions about plans, schedules, agreements, and rules.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The schedule is set in stone; we cannot move the deadline. (The schedule is final and cannot be changed.)
  • Don't worry, these plans are not set in stone. We can adjust them if needed. (These plans are not final; they can be modified.)
  • The policy was set in stone by the previous management. (The policy was made permanent by the previous management.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be carved in stone": A less common variant with the same meaning.
  • The budget numbers aren't carved in stone yet.
• "to set something in stone": The verb form, meaning to make something permanent or unchangeable.
  • We should avoid setting the agreement in stone until we have all the data.

Variants and Related Words

• Fixed (adj): Established and not subject to change.
• Unchangeable (adj): Not able to be changed.
• Written in stone (idiom): A direct synonym for "set in stone."

Synonyms

• Finalized: Brought to a conclusion; finalized.
• Irrevocable: Not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered.
• Cast-iron: Very strong and certain (e.g., a cast-iron guarantee).

Antonyms

• Flexible: Capable of bending or being modified.
• Tentative: Not certain or fixed; provisional.
• Fluid: Subject to change; not fixed.

Related Idioms

• Carved in granite: An even stronger variant implying extreme permanence.
  • His principles were like laws carved in granite.
• Written in pencil: An informal antonym, meaning something is easily changed or temporary.
  • Consider that plan written in pencil, not pen.

Adjective

1. no longer changeable
   • the agreement is not yet set in stone