monumental

1 of 2

adjective

mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce monumental (audio)
Synonyms of monumentalnext
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

monumentality

2 of 2

noun

mon·​u·​men·​tal·​i·​ty
-ˌmen‧-
-lətē
-i
plural -es
: the quality or state of being monumental
differentiates modern design from the immobile and ponderous monumentality of the pastLewis Mumford

Examples of monumental in a Sentence

Adjective 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
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Adjective
Here’s Paul Cret, high priest of stripped-down, monumental Art Deco in the 1930s. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026 With an unusual degree of secrecy, the New York auction house organized a sale early last week of Pace founder Arne Glimcher‘s monumental Jackson Pollock painting, Number 19, 1951, measuring nearly five feet tall and four feet wide, estimated at $50 million. Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026 The only moment of visibility from the outside occurred during the arrival of guests, when minivans with tinted windows slowed down in front of the mansion's monumental gates. Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 7 June 2026 But if Antonelli’s form holds, the deficit will be a monumental task to overcome. Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for monumental

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of monumental was in 1596

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Cite this Entry

“Monumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monumental. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.

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

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