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

The project sits unfinished as a monument to folly.

… Stonehenge yet stands: a monument of the earlier time when the Roman name was unknown in Britain …

—Charles Dickens

(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 of monument

• tombstone
• stone
• plaque

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

Joe Gifford, commander of Post 150, which was founded in 1920, said those sales mean even more money to support Legion baseball and softball teams, and to maintain veterans' monuments. —ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026

His successor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–58), is perhaps best known for the grand monuments constructed during his reign, especially the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026

When the three-level altar was excavated from the test pit, the project archaeologists discovered four human skulls abutting the monument, along with several long bones, which are believed to be femurs. —Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 13 Apr. 2026

The organization announced last month a fund devoted to the protection of monuments and archaeological sites in Lebanon. —Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026

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