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• cenotaph
  cenotaph

  noun

  a sepulchral monument erected in memory of a deceased person whose body is buried elsewhere.
• Cenotaph
  Cenotaph

  noun

  the monument in Whitehall, London, honouring the dead of both World Wars: designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens: erected in 1920

cenotaph

American  

[sen-uh-taf, -tahf] / ˈsɛn əˌtæf, -ˌtɑf /

noun

1. a sepulchral monument erected in memory of a deceased person whose body is buried elsewhere.

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Cenotaph ¹ British  

/ ˈsɛnəˌtɑːf /

noun

1. the monument in Whitehall, London, honouring the dead of both World Wars: designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens: erected in 1920

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cenotaph ² British  

/ ˈsɛnəˌtɑːf /

noun

1. a monument honouring a dead person or persons buried elsewhere

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cenotaphic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cenotaph

1595–1605; < Latin cenotaphium < Greek kenotáphion, equivalent to kenó ( s ) empty + -taphion ( táph ( os ) tomb + -ion diminutive suffix)

Explanation

A cenotaph is a monument to the dead, specifically those buried in another place. Cenotaphs are often erected in honor of war veterans. A cenotaph — which is very similar to a tomb — is a memorial to the dead. Unlike a tomb, a cenotaph doesn’t contain the body of the person memorialized, because the remains are elsewhere or couldn’t be recovered. Across the United States, you can find cenotaphs for people who served in World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and other conflicts. Family members and other citizens leave flowers at cenotaphs to pay respect to the dead.

Related Words

• gravestone
• headstone
• marker
• masterpiece
• mausoleum
• pillar
• shrine
• slab
• statue
• stele
• stone
• tablet
• testament
• tomb
• tombstone
• tribute