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

Chimney Rock State Park, North Carolina A 315-foot monolith of granite serves as the centerpiece of this state park near Asheville. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026

In October in Yosemite National Park, for instance, notable 23-year-old Alaskan climber Balin Miller died just after solo-climbing the famed El Capitan granite monolith. —Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026

This marks the first time the family monolith has ever installed a CMO across the entire operation. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 14 Jan. 2026

While the security forces are often lumped into an ideological monolith, there is a wide diversity among their members, as nearly all men are required to serve. —Robin Wright, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 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