something erected in memory of a person, event, etc., as a building, pillar, or statue.
the Washington Monument.
any building, megalith, etc., surviving from a past age, and regarded as of historical or archaeological importance.
any enduring evidence or notable example of something.
a monument to human ingenuity.
an exemplar, model, or personification of some abstract quality, especially when considered to be beyond question.
a monument of middle-class respectability.
an area or a site of interest to the public for its historical significance, great natural beauty, etc., preserved and maintained by a government.
a written tribute to a person, especially a posthumous one.
Surveying. an object, as a stone shaft, set in the ground to mark the boundaries of real estate or to mark a survey station.
a person considered as a heroic figure or of heroic proportions.
He became a monument in his lifetime.
Obsolete. a tomb; sepulcher.
a statue.
to build a monument or monuments to; commemorate.
to monument the nation's war dead.
to build a monument on.
to monument a famous site.
an obelisk, statue, building, etc, erected in commemoration of a person or event or in celebration of something
a notable building or site, esp one preserved as public property
a tomb or tombstone
a literary or artistic work regarded as commemorative of its creator or a particular period
a boundary marker
an exceptional example
his lecture was a monument of tedium
an obsolete word for statue
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin monumentum, equivalent to mon- (stem of monēre to remind, warn) + -u- (variant of -i- -i- before labials) + -mentum -ment
A monument is a statue or other sculpture meant to honor a great person, like the Lincoln Monument or Washington Monument. You can find monuments in the downtown area of most cities. Many honor a specific person, while other are dedicated to soldiers who fought in a certain war, such as Vietnam or World War I. Cemeteries are also full of monuments, and monument can mean a type of burial vault. Whenever people create a monument, they're trying to make sure that a person or event is remembered.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A scale model by sculptor Adam Matejowski was installed on the site in 2024 as a preview of the giant monument.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
It would be emblazoned on movie posters, erected as a promotional monument outside theaters and rendered in plastic as a $70 popcorn holder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
He needles him, treats him like a normal guy rather than a monument, because that is what Messi actually more often than not wants: to be Leo, not Messi.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
The wedding of the second version of Taylor, by contrast, was a monument to her own arrested development.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
Clouds, which had shadowed the monument, skittered away to the north, and the late-afternoon sun broke through to bathe the reflecting pool and shine on the gaily dressed Easter crowd.
From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman
The historic course sits along the Potomac River with views of the Washington Monument from nearly every hole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
The Ijima's Leaf Warbler is already classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is protected in Japan as a "Natural Monument."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
The reflecting pool sits along the axis between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and is among the most photographed sites in Washington, amplifying attention on any visible changes.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
The "TRIBUTE TO AMERICA" event would be held at the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial -- whose reflecting pool has recently been renovated under a multi-million dollar project ordered by the president.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
“Yo, Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! They know how to party!”
From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan
The study may also help explain why the construction of megalithic tombs and other massive stone monuments came to an end across Europe during roughly the same period.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
Pirro vowed to hold to account anyone who damages national monuments and said her office is reviewing about a half-dozen other cases which will be misdemeanors or violations.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
“These landmarks and monuments belonged to all of us, and they must be protected for generations to come,” Pirro said Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Its significance is reflected at monuments and in rituals around the world.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
Modern drawings of ancient cities tend to show them at an imagined apogee, the great monuments all splendidly arrayed together, perfect as architectural models.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
