monumental

adjective

mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈmen-tᵊl 

1

: serving as or resembling a monument : massive

monumental sculptures

also : highly significant : outstanding

a monumental painting that stunned the American public

2

: of or relating to a monument

modern monumental architecture

3

: very great

a monumental misunderstanding

monumentality

ˌmän-yə-mən-ˈta-lə-tē 

-ˌmen-

noun

monumentally

ˌmän-yə-ˈmen-tᵊl-ē 

adverb

Synonyms of monumental

• magnificent
• epic
• glorious
• imposing
• massive
• majestic
• grand
• proud
• colossal

Examples of monumental in a Sentence

It's more than a mistake; it's a case of monumental stupidity.

the monumental complexity of the issue

Repairing the damage will be a monumental task.

The class was about modern monumental architecture.

Recent Examples on the Web

Chase’s Hexton Gallery, which works with the estate of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, is showing a drawing for his monumental Valley Curtain (1970–72), which ended up in Rifle, Colorado, though the artist had considered Aspen, said Chase. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 30 July 2026

Tønsberg and Borre At Borre, the Midgard Viking Centre sits beside the largest collection of monumental Viking Age burial mounds in Northern Europe. — Bailey Berg, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

The projects included range from Aalto’s modest early works to later, more monumental experiments that still retained a sensitivity for materials, context, and humanist values. — News Desk, Artforum, 28 July 2026

The fire also left the company with the monumental task of removing approximately 85 million pounds of food, including meat, that had been kept inside the cold-storage warehouse. — Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for monumental

• accidental
• compartmental
• continental
• detrimental
• elemental
• fundamental
• governmental
• incidental
• incremental
• instrumental
• interdental
• nonjudgmental

Kids Definition

monumental

adjective

mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈment-ᵊl 

1

: of or relating to a monument

2

: serving as or resembling a monument : massive

also : highly significant : outstanding

3

: very great

monumental stupidity

monumentally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb