monument

noun

mon·​u·​ment ˈmän-yə-mənt 

1

obsolete : a burial vault : sepulchre

2

: a written legal document or record : treatise

3

a(1)

: a lasting evidence, reminder, or example of someone or something notable or great

(2)

: a distinguished person

b

: a memorial stone or a building erected in remembrance of a person or event

4

archaic : an identifying mark : evidence

also : portent, sign

5

obsolete : a carved statue : effigy

6

: a boundary or position marker (such as a stone)

7

: national monument

8

: a written tribute

Synonyms

• gravestone
• headstone
• stone
• tombstone

Examples of monument in a Sentence

They have erected a monument in his honor.

the Quakers disapproved of monuments, regarding them as idolatrous, so thousands of Nantucketers spend their eternal rest in complete anonymity

Recent Examples on the Web

The Sydney Opera House hosts around 1,800 shows a year and was always meant to be a living, breathing performance space and not just an architectural monument. —Michael Y. Park, Architectural Digest, 9 Dec. 2024

The ceremony marked the first time that anyone not involved in the reconstruction had been permitted to enter the cathedral in the years since the blaze destroyed its spire and roof, and left the monument covered in toxic dust and charred debris. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 7 Dec. 2024

Despite initial excitement from fans, the experience has sparked backlash among locals who are concerned about protecting the monument. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 Dec. 2024

The cathedral attracted millions of worshipers and visitors annually before the April 15, 2019, fire forced its closure and turned the monument in the heart of Paris into a no-go zone except to artisans, architects and others mobilized for the reconstruction. —Thomas Adamson and John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin monumentum, literally, memorial, from monēre to remind — more at mind

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing monument

• national monument

Kids Definition

monument

noun

mon·​u·​ment ˈmän-yə-mənt 

1

: something that serves as a memorial

especially : a building, pillar, stone, or statue honoring a person or event

2

: a work, saying, or deed that lasts or that is worth preserving

the book is a monument of scholarship

3

: a boundary marker (as a stone)

4

: a place of historic interest or natural beauty set aside and maintained by the government as public property