momentous
adjective
mo·men·tous
mō-ˈmen-təs 
mə-
: having great or lasting importance : consequential, significant
a momentous decision
a momentous event/occasion
The Senate begins a momentous debate on health care today …—
The New York Times
The New York TimesDeydey usually talked about his travels, the places he'd seen and the people, the close calls and momentous encounters with animals, weather, other Anishinabeg, and best of all, ghosts.—Louise Erdrich
Louise ErdrichThe late nineteenth century was strewn with inventions. Many were momentous, but few affected men and women more closely than the bicycle and its motorized offspring: motorcycle, motor-car and aeroplane.—Eugen Weber
Eugen Weber
momentously
adverb
a momentously important decision
… a … twist that is executed differently from the comic book story, but is just as dramatically and momentously presented.
—The Philippines Daily Inquirer
The Philippines Daily Inquirer
momentousness
noun
But other East Europeans had little time to marvel at the momentousness of the moment. Just one day after the fall of the [Berlin] Wall, Bulgaria's dour leader of 35 years, Todor Zhivkov, was ousted.
—Stephen E. Deane
Stephen E. Deane
Examples of momentous in a Sentence
My college graduation was a momentous day in my life.
a momentous occasion that will go down in the history books
Recent Examples on the Web
Under white canopy tents at the end of a long, dusty dirt road, hundreds gathered to commemorate the momentous occasion.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 13 June 2025
More to Explore Hall also details how slavery and emancipation were remembered—or not—by three notable nineteenth-century figures in the years following these momentous events as the construction of memory about Britain’s intimate role in slavery began.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 June 2025
On the face of things, this ruling handed a momentous win to Woldenberg, who attended the hearing with his wife and three grown children, all of whom work for the business.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Other pictures and clips showed the teenager with some of his fellow prom-goers and a large shot of the entire class celebrating the momentous occasion.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for momentous
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Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 13 June 2025
More to Explore Hall also details how slavery and emancipation were remembered—or not—by three notable nineteenth-century figures in the years following these momentous events as the construction of memory about Britain’s intimate role in slavery began.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 June 2025
On the face of things, this ruling handed a momentous win to Woldenberg, who attended the hearing with his wife and three grown children, all of whom work for the business.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Other pictures and clips showed the teenager with some of his fellow prom-goers and a large shot of the entire class celebrating the momentous occasion.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for momentous
Cite this Entry
“Momentous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/momentous. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
momentous
adjective
mo·men·tous
mō-ˈment-əs
: very important
a momentous decision
momentously
adverb
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