monolith

noun

mono·​lith ˈmä-nə-ˌlith 

1

: a single great stone often in the form of an obelisk or column

A granite monolith stands at the center of the park.

2

: a massive structure

The 73-story monolith is one of Europe's tallest buildings.

3

: an organized whole that acts as a single unified powerful or influential force

The movie company grew into a monolith of the entertainment industry.

Examples of monolith in a Sentence

The new office building is a massive steel and concrete monolith.

The media monolith owns a number of networks.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 1931 Art Deco monolith welcomes guests with sculptor Nína Sæmundsson’s Spirit of Achievement statue crowning the main entrance and an attentive staff kitted out in blue velvet blazers and sequined dresses. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026

The monolith has cracked, giving way to a market that demands differentiation. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026

The horrors under the monoliths’ shimmering surfaces remind us to look at the land, then look deeper. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 7 Apr. 2026

The film’s speculative elements — monoliths accelerating human evolution — were philosophical rather than scientific. —Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French monolithe, from monolithe consisting of a single stone, from Latin monolithus, from Greek monolithos, from mon- + lithos stone

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for monolith

• coppersmith
• hammersmith
• silversmith
• beckwith
• blacksmith
• forthwith
• herewith
• locksmith
• outwith
• therewith
• wherewith
• frith

Kids Definition

monolith

noun

mono·​lith ˈmän-ᵊl-ˌith 

1

: a single great stone often in the form of a monument or column

2

: something large and powerful (as a political organization) that is thought to function as a unified whole

monolithic

ˌmän-ᵊl-ˈith-ik

adjective