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

The city tree planting and monument program is also working with Hebron High School to honor Gonzales. — Mary Ella Hastings july 22, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026

The Cinerama Dome’s hopeful reopening has been a constant source of intrigue and interest for the city’s avid moviegoing audience, which has signed petitions and staged demonstrations in the hopes of bringing the monument back to life. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026

For now, though, royal watchers can rest easy with glimpses of the monument’s most decadent rooms. — Ben Jureidini, Vanity Fair, 21 July 2026

Political monuments have for years occupied an uneasy place in the art world, where questions of patronage often matter as much as aesthetics. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 21 July 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