monolith

noun

mono·​lith ˈmä-nə-ˌlith 

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

Another shiny monolith column popped up in the middle of nowhere, this time in the desert near Las Vegas. —Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 20 June 2024

Of course, this hasn't been the only mysterious monolith sighting in recent years. —Danielle Jennings, Peoplemag, 18 June 2024

The Gass Peak monolith, which appears to be made from metal, looks similar to other monoliths that mysteriously sprang up around the world in 2020, starting with one installed in a remote area in Utah that was later removed. —Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 18 June 2024

The bronze monolith is decorated with 17 different uniforms hung on pegs to represent the jobs women took on during the war, then gave up when the men returned. —Danica Kirka, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 June 2024

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

Kids Definition

monolith

noun

mono·​lith ˈmän-ᵊl-ˌith 

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