mausoleum

noun

mau·​so·​le·​um ˌmȯ-sə-ˈlē-əm  ˌmȯ-zə- 

plural mausoleums or mausolea ˌmȯ-sə-ˈlē-ə 

ˌmȯ-zə-

1

: a large tomb

especially : a usually stone building with places for entombment of the dead above ground

2

: a large gloomy building or room

She invited him out of the mausoleum of a parlour into the kitchen.

—D. H. Lawrence

Did you know?

Mausolus was ruler of a kingdom in Asia Minor in the 4th century B.C. He beautified the capital, Halicarnassus, with all sorts of fine public buildings, but he is best known for the magnificent monument, the Mausoleum, that was built by his wife Artemisia after his death. With its great height (perhaps 140 feet) and many beautiful sculptures, the Mausoleum was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Though Halicarnassus was repeatedly attacked, the Mausoleum would survive for well over 1,000 years.

Examples of mausoleum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

No wonder prominent families with names such as Boettcher, Bonfils and Phipps chose to spend eternity there, some in private rooms in the mausoleum. —Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026

Recently built, the mausoleum at the Tafi Viejo cemetery in Tucuman has most of its niches still empty, awaiting new identifications. —Débora Rey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026

Recently built, the mausoleum at the Tafi Viejo cemetery in Tucuman has most of its niches still empty, awaiting new identifications. —ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026

Bulldozers and dynamite demolished the modernist mausoleum of Reza Shah, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty. —Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, from Greek mausōleion, from Mausōlos Mausolus †about 353 b.c., ruler of Caria

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mausoleum

• athenaeum
• coliseum
• colosseum
• mycelium
• corneum
• hordeum
• luteum
• lyceum
• museum
• endothelium
• periosteum
• peritoneum

Kids Definition

mausoleum

noun

mau·​so·​le·​um ˌmȯ-sə-ˈlē-əm  ˌmȯ-zə- 

plural mausoleums or mausolea

-ˈlē-ə

: a large or fancy tomb

Etymology

from Latin mausoleum "a large tomb," from Greek Mausōleion "the magnificent tomb of Mausolus (ruler of Caria, an ancient country in Asia Minor)," considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world