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

The project sits unfinished as a monument to folly.

… Stonehenge yet stands: a monument of the earlier time when the Roman name was unknown in Britain …

—Charles Dickens

(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 of monument

• 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

According to Rockwall County commissioners, the monument marks the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding and is intended to highlight the Ten Commandments' role in America's legal and moral history. —Doug Myers, CBS News, 24 May 2026

Crucially for Cole’s metaphor, Nero’s rule was notorious for tyranny, self-dealing, and extravagant public spending on the construction of monuments to and for Nero himself. —Tyler Green, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026

If Bolton boast a monument, then Bournemouth have a box. —Andy Mitten, New York Times, 21 May 2026

Three days later, on February 12, community members joined to raise the flag again, and to date, the pride flag to stands outside the monument, along with several more smaller flags adorning the area. —Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

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