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
To honor that momentous first step for the 51’s fortunate 100 owners, The Glenrothes has commissioned a Kintsugi artist to reassemble the column into a unique piece of art, perhaps a vase to grow an orchid like those that grow wild on The Glenrothes Estate and inspired the 51.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 23 June 2025
Jin, catching the fervor behind the formulas, coaxes her to speak from the heart about architecture—in a scene that emphasizes the momentous happenstance of their meeting.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Oddly, these momentous changes received little or no coverage in the Danish press, despite auguring the coming dissolution of the Rigsfællesskabet, or Danish Realm.
—Morten Høi Jensen, The Dial, 19 June 2025
Seattle announced itself in tournament play with a momentous defeat of the then-unbeaten Minnesota Lynx last week.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for momentous
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Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 23 June 2025
Jin, catching the fervor behind the formulas, coaxes her to speak from the heart about architecture—in a scene that emphasizes the momentous happenstance of their meeting.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Oddly, these momentous changes received little or no coverage in the Danish press, despite auguring the coming dissolution of the Rigsfællesskabet, or Danish Realm.
—Morten Høi Jensen, The Dial, 19 June 2025
Seattle announced itself in tournament play with a momentous defeat of the then-unbeaten Minnesota Lynx last week.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 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 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
momentous
adjective
mo·men·tous
mō-ˈment-əs
: very important
a momentous decision
momentously
adverb
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