monumental

adjective

mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈmen-tᵊl 

1

: serving as or resembling a monument : massive

monumental sculptures

also : highly significant : outstanding

a monumental painting that stunned the American public

2

: of or relating to a monument

modern monumental architecture

3

: very great

a monumental misunderstanding

monumentality

ˌmän-yə-mən-ˈta-lə-tē 

-ˌmen-

noun

monumentally

ˌmän-yə-ˈmen-tᵊl-ē 

adverb

Synonyms

• august
• baronial
• epic
• gallant
• glorious
• grand
• grandiose
• heroic
• heroical
• Homeric
• imperial
• imposing
• magnific
• magnificent
• majestic
• massive
• noble
• proud
• regal
• royal
• splendid
• stately

Examples of monumental in a Sentence

It's more than a mistake; it's a case of monumental stupidity.

the monumental complexity of the issue

Repairing the damage will be a monumental task.

The class was about modern monumental architecture.

Recent Examples on the Web

Barca might have performed well and made mistakes, but this should be treated more as a monumental victory for them, instead of a capitulation by Barca. —Pol Ballús, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024

Gatherings are held every year at Stonehenge, a monumental circle of massive stones in England that dates back about 5,000 years. —Amanda Cappelli, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024

The film reaches its apex towards the end as the story slows down to savor each course of this monumental meal—primi, secondi, etc. —Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024

Some of these products in particular, including Google Deep Research, Veo 2, and Gemini Live may have a monumental impact in the AI field. —Ars Technica, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

monumental

adjective

mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈment-ᵊl 

1

: of or relating to a monument

2

: serving as or resembling a monument : massive

also : highly significant : outstanding

3

: very great

monumental stupidity

monumentally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb