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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

• cenotaphic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of cenotaph

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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cenotaph Cenotaph

Inaugurated in 1932, the marble cenotaph honours the memory of Greek soldiers fallen in combat.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025

Ms Rogers said the knitted cenotaph and soldier are open to anyone to view at the reception building of the retirement village.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2023

The meeting took place late that month in Gwangju, by a gray stone cenotaph near the site of the minibus shooting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2023

“A vast cenotaph of secession” was how the journalist and historian Tony Horwitz described Richmond in his 1998 book, “Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches From the Unfinished Civil War.”

From New York Times ● Dec. 26, 2022

"Cenotaph."—We are told that a cenotaph is a monument "in memory of one buried elsewhere"—otherwise, "an empty tomb."

From The Writer, Volume VI, April 1892. A Monthly Magazine to Interest and Help All Literary Workers by Robert Luce

He attended remembrance events in the UK, including the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey and the Cenotaph Parade.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

His small service will be in stark contrast to the large, solemn ceremony at the Cenotaph in London.

From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2025

This week will see annual Remembrance events, including the ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2025

These will include the Cenotaph in Whitehall, the Royal Artillery Memorial in Hyde Park, and many other famous structures across Britain commemorating the service of the armed forces in the First and Second World Wars.

From BBC ● May 6, 2025

Goodwood—The art of being a park—The Cenotaph of Lord Darnley—Boxgrove—Cowper at Eastham—The Charlton Hunt—A famous run—Huntsman and Saint—Present day hunting in Sussex—Mr. Knox's delectable day with his gun—Kingly Bottom—The best white violets—A demon bowler—Two epitaphs.

From Highways and Byways in Sussex by Frederick Landseer Maur Griggs

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Related Words

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

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