monumental
Americanadjective
-
like a monument, esp in large size, endurance, or importance
a monumental work of art
-
of, relating to, or being a monument
-
informal (intensifier)
monumental stupidity
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of monumental
From the Late Latin word monumentālis, dating back to 1595–1605. See monument, -al 1
Explanation
Whether it's a monumental effort requiring vast amounts of strength or a monumental cruise ship with eleven floors and five sets of elevators, the word monumental describes something imposing or massive in size. Monumental can also refer to something that's of outstanding importance or significance. A monumental decision for you would be one that changes your life — like the day you got engaged or when you decided to move to New York to be an actor. The word monumental can also be used if you're talking about a monument, a statue or structure commemorating a person or event. You might admire the monumental stonework on the statue in the town square.
Vocabulary lists containing monumental
The Maze Runner
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Stargirl
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Living Large: Synonyms for "Big"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The piece will run about seven hours from sundown to sunrise, 365 days a year, just across the street from Jeff Koons’ monumental topiary sculpture “Split-Rocker.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Those monumental physical traces are to be found in the fertile plains, mountainsides and deserts of the Middle East.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
“Big Bang” puts readers in the midst of this monumental scientific debate, while demonstrating that, for all its audacity, “the Big Bang model can be understood by everyone.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
If you’ve watched the final episodes of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” you won’t have missed the sense that something monumental is ending.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
Early human beings emerged from caves to become herdsmen and farmers, and, with a now secure food supply, they began crafting the first monumental “sculpture.”
From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
