cenotaph

Definition of cenotaphnext
as in memorial
a special structure or statue that is built to remind people of a dead person who is buried somewhere else

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cenotaph This image taken on August 5, 2025, shows the cenotaph ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. — Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025 Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the city’s mayor and other officials laid flowers at the cenotaph. — Mari Yamaguchi, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025 Tombs were frequently located by the sea, especially cenotaphs – empty graves meant to memorialize those who died at sea and whose bodies could not be recovered. — Marie-Claire Beaulieu, The Conversation, 28 July 2025 Instead of the vast open space, there are now hundreds of near identical cenotaphs, each featuring the name and a picture of a victim. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for cenotaph
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cenotaph
Noun
  • Now Kalani was drawing a purple heart on the pavement at a makeshift memorial outside Silver Rail Elementary.
    — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That number lumps new deadbot platforms in with much more widely used and established grief tech, like online memorials, counseling resources, and estate planning tools.
    — Lissa Soep, Vox, 17 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Members of Leadership Folsom spent the past year raising money for upgrades to the zoo's entrance, including new digital kiosks, a monument sign and high-visibility lettering at the main gate.
    — James Taylor, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Denali rises above them all, a monument standing guard over the low, water-rich world of the wetlands below.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cenotaph.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cenotaph. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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