landmark

noun land·mark \ ˈland-ˌmärk \

Definition of landmark

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

See landmark defined for English-language learners

See landmark defined for kids

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 of landmark from the Web

Maldon oysters on the half shell, foie gras—and French and German wines in a landmark seventeenth-century building with white tablecloths and stone fireplaces.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "Restaurant Juliette," 25 Aug. 2017
The introduction of the landmark national sales tax on July 1 will further boost transparency, Modi said.

— anurag kotoky, Bloomberg.com, "Modi Says More Indians Paying Tax After Cash Ban, GST Regime," 15 Aug. 2017
One of them, the former Wall Street financier turned former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci equated it with Dred Scott v. Sanford, the landmark decision by the Supreme Court to legalize slavery.

— bess levin, The Hive, "How to Make Money Off Our Coming Nuclear Apocalypse," 11 Aug. 2017
So what seems to be true is that both Martin in his novels and the HBO show-runners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff are intent on hitting on the major themes and landmarks of this proposal.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones: The Explosive New Conflict Hiding in George R.R. Martin’s Original Outline," 8 Aug. 2017
The connection was most famously outlined in the landmark 1964 Surgeon General’s report on smoking.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Smoking cessation rises for first time in 15 years, and e-cigs may be the key," 26 July 2017
Perhaps not the healthiest choice in the long-run, this landmark alteration prevented peanut butter from going rancid so soon and from sticking to the roof of your mouth.

— spoon u, Teen Vogue, "The History of Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches," 21 July 2017
In a landmark report, scientists have endorsed three strategies for preventing dementia and cognitive decline associated with normal aging — being physically active, engaging in cognitive training and controlling high blood pressure.

— judith graham, Kaiser Health News, "These Preventive Measures Might Help Delay Dementia Or Cognitive Decline," 20 July 2017
RealLifeLore looks at different landmarks in the quest to get really, really, deep: The limiting factor is almost always the temperature.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "How Deep Can You Dig a Hole?," 7 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'landmark.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of landmark

before 12th century

landmark Synonyms

Synonyms

climacteric, climax, corner, turning point, milepost, milestone, watershed

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

LANDMARK Defined for English Language Learners

landmark

noun

Definition of landmark for English Language Learners

: an object or structure on land that is easy to see and recognize
: a building or place that was important in history
: a very important event or achievement

LANDMARK Defined for Kids

landmark

noun land·mark \ ˈland-ˌmärk \

Definition of landmark for Students

1 :something (as a building, a large tree, or a statue) that is easy to see and can help a person find the way to a place near it

2 :a building of historical importance

3 :a very important event or achievement

The case was a landmark in legal history.

Medical Dictionary

landmark

noun land·mark \ -ˌmärk \

medical Definition of landmark

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

Law Dictionary

landmark

noun, often attributive land·mark

legal Definition of landmark

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