landmark

noun

land·​mark ˈland-ˌmärk 

1

: an object (such as a stone or tree) that marks the boundary of land

2

a

: a conspicuous object on land that marks a locality

b

: an anatomical structure used as a point of orientation in locating other structures

3

: an event or development that marks a turning point or a stage

4

: a structure (such as a building) of unusual historical and usually aesthetic interest

especially : one that is officially designated and set aside for preservation

Synonyms of landmark

• milestone
• climax
• watershed

Examples of landmark in a Sentence

The Golden Gate Bridge is a famous landmark in San Francisco.

The battlefield is a national historical landmark.

The moon landing is a landmark in space exploration.

The decision was a landmark in legal history.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fortunately, Gorbachev would drop his objections to SDI in time for both men to sign a landmark treaty in 1987 that abolished all intermediate range nuclear arms in Europe and made the entire world safer. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026

Two of his landmark papers, published in 2025 and 2026 in Science, point to a radical redistribution of the cells that make up the body as mammals age, and describe some of the epigenomic instructions that guide this process. — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026

Views are also good at what has become something of a local landmark, particularly to drivers on the nearby M61 motorway who can’t fail to notice the sweeping roof and angled floodlight poles when lit up at night. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Cárdenas previously had gifted prints to the Blanton in 2019 that had been produced at a landmark printmaking workshop in Los Angeles. — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for landmark

• ballpark
• benchmark
• birthmark
• daymark
• earmark
• embark
• hallmark
• monarch
• postmark
• remark
• skylark
• tetrarch

Kids Definition

landmark

noun

land·​mark ˈlan(d)-ˌmärk 

1

: an object that marks the boundary of land

2

a

: a usually large object on land that is easy to see and can help a person find the way to a place near it

b

: an important building or monument

historical landmarks

3

: an event that marks a turning point

Medical Definition

landmark

noun

land·​mark -ˌmärk 

1

: an anatomical structure used as a point of orientation in locating other structures (as in surgical procedures)

2

: a point on the body or skeleton from which anthropological measurements are taken

Legal Definition

landmark

noun

land·​mark

often attributive

1

: an object (as a stone or tree) that marks a boundary of land

2

: an event or development that marks a turning point or stage

a landmark decision

3

: a structure (as a building) of unusual historical or aesthetic interest

especially : one that is officially designated and set aside for preservation