landmark

[land-mahrk]

noun

1. a prominent or conspicuous object on land that serves as a guide, especially to ships at sea or to travelers on a road; a distinguishing landscape feature marking a site or location.

   The post office served as a landmark for locating the street to turn down.

2. something used to mark the boundary of land.

3. a building or other place that is of outstanding historical, aesthetic, or cultural importance, often declared as such and given a special status landmark designation, ordaining its preservation, by some authorizing organization.

4. a significant or historic event, juncture, achievement, etc..

   The court decision stands as a landmark in constitutional law.

   Synonyms: benchmark, watershed, milestone

verb (used with object)

1. to declare (a building, site, etc.) a landmark.

   a movement to landmark New York's older theaters.

landmark

/ ˈlændˌmɑːk /

noun

1. a prominent or well-known object in or feature of a particular landscape

2. an important or unique decision, event, fact, discovery, etc

3. a boundary marker or signpost

Other Word Forms

• unlandmarked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of landmark¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English landmearc. See land, mark ¹

Example Sentences

The deal with France was seen by the previous home secretary, Yvette Cooper, as one of her landmark policy achievements, it is now the job of her successor, Mahmood, to make it work.

From BBC

The red fabric on the landmark appeared after thousands of St George's flags appeared across England in recent months.

From BBC

A record like this would have a truly independent board hunting for a new chief executive, not crafting a landmark pay package for the old one.

From Los Angeles Times

And those are just a few of the movies that are returning to theaters this year to celebrate landmark anniversaries.

From Los Angeles Times

One and a half million Australians living in coastal areas are at risk from rising sea levels by 2050, a landmark climate report has warned.

From BBC

Related Words

• marker 
• memorial 
• milestone 
• monument 
• museum 
• tree