monument

noun

mon·​u·​ment ˈmän-yə-mənt 

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

Synonyms

• tombstone
• stone
• plaque

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 on the Web

The statue has been in storage since it was pulled down on June 19, 2020, in the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests, when monuments honoring figures from the Confederate side in the Civil War were targeted. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

King Charles attended the monument’s dedication ceremony on Monday, where he was photographed laying a bouquet of flowers. —Samantha Riedel, Them., 27 Oct. 2025

If hiking isn't your thing, Sedona is also known for its Pink Jeep Tours that take you to Sedona monuments and shops. —Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 27 Oct. 2025

In January 1914, eviction notices went out to every San Francisco cemetery, ordering them to remove their bodies and monuments, according to the Colma Historical Association. —Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing monument

• national monument

Kids Definition

monument

noun

mon·​u·​ment ˈmän-yə-mənt 

1

: something that serves as a memorial

especially : a building, pillar, stone, or statue honoring a person or event

2

: a work, saying, or deed that lasts or that is worth preserving

the book is a monument of scholarship

3

: a boundary marker (as a stone)

4

: a place of historic interest or natural beauty set aside and maintained by the government as public property