monolith

noun

mono·​lith ˈmä-nə-ˌlith How to pronounce monolith (audio)
1
: a single great stone often in the form of an obelisk or column
A granite monolith stands at the center of the park.
2
: a massive structure
The 70-story monolith is one of Europe's tallest buildings.
3
: an organized whole that acts as a single unified powerful or influential force
The movie company grew into a monolith of the entertainment industry.

Examples of monolith in a Sentence

The new office building is a massive steel and concrete monolith. The media monolith owns a number of networks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However Evangelicals also acknowledge that being a Democrat is not a monolith, and the same can be said of Republican faith based voters as well. Earl Carr, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 Many political organizing campaigns, whether party based or nonpartisan, have targeted Latinos as a whole, with messaging that has treated Latinos as a monolith. Aisha Wallace-Palomares, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024 Tribal voting patterns vary The Indigenous vote is not a monolith and depends on many factors. Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2024 The Middle Eastern communities of Michigan are not a monolith and have diverse backgrounds and views. Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for monolith 

Word History

Etymology

French monolithe, from monolithe consisting of a single stone, from Latin monolithus, from Greek monolithos, from mon- + lithos stone

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of monolith was in 1836

Dictionary Entries Near monolith

Cite this Entry

“Monolith.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monolith. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

monolith

noun
mono·​lith ˈmän-ᵊl-ˌith How to pronounce monolith (audio)
1
: a single great stone often in the form of a monument or column
2
: something large and powerful (as a political organization) that is thought to function as a unified whole
monolithic
ˌmän-ᵊl-ˈith-ik
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on monolith

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!