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

Rather than treating 18th & Vine solely as a monument to Kansas City’s jazz past, Coleman believes the district can become a place where contemporary musicians work, perform and connect with the broader industry. — Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

One Tuesday at dusk, children played around the monument while adults read the plaques on the June Bug’s wings that reflect the major milestones of a life of entrepreneurship and daring. — Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

The PhDs who gave us the monument to double counting that is GDP have similarly made a mockery of inflation. — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

The monument was donated by the Milwaukee Loyal Knights of the Round Table, an early 20th century fraternal service organization inspired by the legend of King Arthur. — Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 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