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

Aiming to protect what’s left of its buildings and monuments is a converted Volkswagen Crafter—the ARK III, a mobile 3D-scanning lab that creates digital twins of sacred and historical structures for future restoration. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Surely this fits McCutcheon’s criteria of adding names for doing significant things future generations should remember, since this donation reopened the monument after its public closure. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026

And, as a sign of how sentiments have shifted, a monument was erected in Massachusetts just nine years ago to mark the site of the most famous public hangings – 19 people accused of witchcraft in 1692 Salem. — The Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026

Designated a historic monument in 1982, the market was threatened with demolition in the 1990s when Mayor Jacques Chirac signed off on plans to replace it with a parking lot, a daycare facility and a community center, the Guardian reported. — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 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