Definition of monumentnext
1
as in tombstone
a shaped stone laid over or erected near a grave and usually bearing an inscription to identify and preserve the memory of the deceased the Quakers disapproved of monuments, regarding them as idolatrous, so thousands of Nantucketers spend their eternal rest in complete anonymity

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2
as in reminder
something that serves to keep alive the memory of a person or event a moving monument to the great war and a tribute to the untold millions who died in it

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Example Sentences

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 monument Under Burgum's 2025 campaign, signs, books, films and exhibits covering topics such as slavery, climate change and the massacre of Native Americans were flagged and removed from national parks and monuments nationwide. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 The smaller monument stands near the entrance to Marine Corps Base Quantico, close to the National Museum of the Marine Corps. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Egypt's top-ranking monument, the Pyramids at Giza, near Cairo, lies north of the path of totality and will get a 95% partial solar eclipse. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Giulio Dalvit, curator of sculpture at the Frick, said that the exhibition’s five free-standing figures, two tomb monuments, 11 cast reliefs and eight commemorative medals represent a large portion of bronze artworks from 15th-century Siena. — Blake Gopnik, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for monument
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monument
Noun
  • Brushing off tombstones is a regular ritual in some cultures, including in Mexico where entire families clean and decorate graves, which are covered with orange marigolds for Day of the Dead.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Some of these spooky spectacles incorporate lights that dance to music, animatronics that come to life and graveyards full of tombstones.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Those words are a powerful reminder that people can be struggling even when those around them see no signs.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • But Wednesday night was a reminder none of this happens overnight.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Wait until the surface is still again, then throw in a second stone at another position, say, P2, to watch the resulting wave pattern.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In Italy, a march in central Milan on Saturday over living costs also ended violently, with rioters attacking the police with stones and paving blocks and setting fire to barricades.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Xinhua said Wang accompanied Kim to a Korean War memorial in Dandong, where the North Korean leader paid tribute to Chinese People’s Volunteer Army soldiers who fought alongside North Korea during the three-year conflict.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Fellow delivery workers built a memorial outside the grocery store, according to the station.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • People with plaque psoriasis fight a constant battle with painful, flaky patches that can appear on some of the most visible parts of the skin.
    — Alice Park, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Although Siebert had not responded to the Statesman at the time of publication, Boise State Athletics spokesperson Chris Kutz confirmed that students worked on the trophy in 2022 to add the latest plaque while retaining the trophy’s history.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Monument.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monument. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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