mausoleum

noun

mau·​so·​le·​um ˌmȯ-sə-ˈlē-əm  ˌmȯ-zə- 

plural mausoleums or mausolea ˌmȯ-sə-ˈlē-ə 

ˌmȯ-zə-

1

: a large tomb

especially : a usually stone building with places for entombment of the dead above ground

2

: a large gloomy building or room

she invited him out of the mausoleum of a parlour into the kitchen

—D. H. Lawrence

Did you know?

Mausolus was ruler of a kingdom in Asia Minor in the 4th century B.C. He beautified the capital, Halicarnassus, with all sorts of fine public buildings, but he is best known for the magnificent monument, the Mausoleum, that was built by his wife Artemisia after his death. With its great height (perhaps 140 feet) and many beautiful sculptures, the Mausoleum was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Though Halicarnassus was repeatedly attacked, the Mausoleum would survive for well over 1,000 years.

Examples of mausoleum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Her remains are now in a gated mausoleum room called the Judy Garland Pavilion, where there is space for the rest of the family. —Julie Tremaine, Peoplemag, 2 June 2024

In deepest Mani, the longest of the peninsula's tentacles—one of the last wild parts of Europe, a place that turned back even the Ottomans—the cliffs and gorges seem to be made of shadows, and empty stone villages rupture the sky like mausoleums. —Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 May 2024

Meanwhile, the group’s ideological cousins in the Islamic State (or ISIS) have claimed operations on Iranian territory, including attacks on the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini in 2017. —Cole Bunzel, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2021

The ceremony will be held in front of the community mausoleum. —Heather McRea, Orange County Register, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, from Greek mausōleion, from Mausōlos Mausolus †about 353 b.c., ruler of Caria

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mausoleum

noun

mau·​so·​le·​um ˌmȯ-sə-ˈlē-əm  ˌmȯ-zə- 

plural mausoleums or mausolea

-ˈlē-ə

: a large or fancy tomb

Etymology

from Latin mausoleum "a large tomb," from Greek Mausōleion "the magnificent tomb of Mausolus (ruler of Caria, an ancient country in Asia Minor)," considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world