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

All the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo, as well as the monuments and memorials along the National Mall are free to enter, as are several outdoorsy spots like Rock Creek Park and the U.S. National Arboretum. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2024

Have taxpayers grown reluctant to finance these monuments to the vanity of billionaire owners? —Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

Rectangular steel markers, their shape like a coffin hanging from a limb, serve as monuments to 4,400 Black Americans lynched between 1877 and 1950. —Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Many New Kingdom pharaohs used the taxes collected by these officials to erect major monuments and throw grandiose jubilee celebrations. —Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

There's world-class wine, proximity to the sea, and more than 350 historical buildings and monuments to visit. —Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2024

Cabrillo National Monument, named after the Spanish conquistador Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who landed in the San Diego Bay in 1542, was established as a federal monument in 1913. —Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024

After discovering all that the institution has to offer, the surrounding Parque General San Martín serves as one of Mendoza’s most gorgeous green spaces, with a sprawling lake and multiple monuments found within its borders. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

But plans for a new modern monument in the heart of Hollywood could leave all of the city’s long-standing attractions overshadowed by much more than shade. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 25 Mar. 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