monumental

adjective

mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce monumental (audio)
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 noun
monumentally adverb

Example Sentences

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 That could be prompting more than 300 people to volunteer to pore over deeds with racist covenants as part of a monumental mapping segregation project. Greg Borowski, Journal Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2023 There had always been an ambition in the way Brown approached painting, says longtime acquaintance Julie Mehretu, but these monumental works felt like a big shift. WSJ, 2 Mar. 2023 This month marks the 36th time the United States has officially celebrated Women’s History Month, but women have been making monumental accomplishments and contributions in our country for decades. Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2023 Thomas Sadoski Discrepancy so vast is a reasonable subject for candid discussion, especially given our military involvement, even tangentially, in the monumental suffering of Yemen’s women and children. Thomas Sadoski, CNN, 2 Mar. 2023 While best known for monumental works in steel, di Suvero can wield a brush or marker with gestural precision — indeed, eloquence. Dallas News, 27 Feb. 2023 The singer’s sophomore project is currently enjoying its monumental 10th week atop the chart. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2023 The Blazers used a monumental 71-point performance from Damian Lillard to take down the Rockets (13-47) on Sunday night at the Moda Center. oregonlive, 27 Feb. 2023 Which set up what turned into an epic ending for Iowa and a monumental meltdown for MSU. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 25 Feb. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of monumental was in 1596

Dictionary Entries Near monumental

Cite this Entry

“Monumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monumental. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

monumental

adjective
mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈment-ᵊl How to pronounce monumental (audio)
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 adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on monumental

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Love It or Hate It

  • heart-fire
  • When asked about her blind date, Carol spoke for hours with vitriol.
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY