monument

noun mon·u·ment \ ˈmän-yə-mənt \

Definition of monument

1 obsolete :a burial vault :sepulchre

2 :a written legal document or record :treatise

3 a (1) :a lasting evidence, reminder, or example of someone or something notable or great

(2) :a distinguished person

b :a memorial stone or a building erected in remembrance of a person or event

4 archaic :an identifying mark :evidence; also :portent, sign

5 obsolete :a carved statue :effigy

6 :a boundary or position marker (such as a stone)

7 :national monument

8 :a written tribute

See monument defined for English-language learners

See monument defined for kids

Examples of monument in a Sentence

They have erected a monument in his honor.
the Quakers disapproved of monuments, regarding them as idolatrous, so thousands of Nantucketers spend their eternal rest in complete anonymity

Recent Examples of monument from the Web

READ MORE: The Unbearable Lightness of Confederate-Statue Removal Mothball the Confederate Monuments A Plea for Preserving Historical Monuments— John Fund is NRO’s national-affairs correspondent.

— john fund, National Review, "Monument Madness," 27 Aug. 2017
Not So Fast: Across the south, citizens are pushing for the removal of Confederate monuments in their communities.

— lena felton, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: The South Braces for Harvey," 25 Aug. 2017
In 1978, Andrus convinced Carter to use the Antiquities Act to set 56 million acres of Alaska land aside as national monuments, preventing future development with the stroke of a pen.

— rocky barker, idahostatesman, "Andrus’ legacy: Idaho’s wild spaces, schools, nuclear cleanup," 25 Aug. 2017
On Monday, a monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus was vandalized in Baltimore City.

— michael brice-saddler, Howard County Times, "Officials remove Confederate memorial in Ellicott City," 22 Aug. 2017
Right now, Portsmouth is home to a monument dedicated to 655 unspecific Confederate soldiers who died in the area around the town.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "There's Now A Petition To Replace A Confederate Statue with Missy Elliott," 21 Aug. 2017
Democrats, while encouraged about having a tool to mobilize black voters in an off-year election, are cognizant of national polling that shows opposition to removing Confederate monuments is bipartisan.

— jonathan martin, New York Times, "Charlottesville and Trump’s Response Reshape Virginia Gubernatorial Race," 19 Aug. 2017
Already, over 150 monuments across 20 states have been identified.

— maggie mallon, Glamour, "Thousands Are Petitioning for a Statue of Heather Heyer to Replace the Robert E. Lee Monument in Charlottesville," 17 Aug. 2017
The group had been flown to Washington, D.C. to visit the monuments and memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices.

— pioneer press, chicagotribune.com, "Local veterans visit memorials via Honor Flight," 28 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of monument

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin monumentum, literally, memorial, from monēre to remind — more at mind

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

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monument Synonyms

Synonyms

gravestone, headstone, tombstone, stone

Related Words

cross, marker, plaque, table, tablet; monolith, obelisk, pillar; memorial, shrine; burial, sepulchre (or sepulcher), sepulture, tomb

MONUMENT Defined for English Language Learners

monument

noun

Definition of monument for English Language Learners

: a building, statue, etc., that honors a person or event
: a building or place that is important because of when it was built or because of something in history that happened there
: an example of something

MONUMENT Defined for Kids

monument

noun mon·u·ment \ ˈmän-yə-mənt \

Definition of monument for Students

1 :a structure (as a building, stone, or statue) made to keep alive the memory of a person or event

2 :something that serves as a good reminder or example

“That is a monument to the foolishness of love.”
—Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux

Learn More about monument

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for monument Spanish Central: Translation of monument Nglish: Translation of monument for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of monument for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monument

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monument

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