landmark

American  

[land-mahrk] / ˈlændˌmɑrk /

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

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verb (used with object)

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

   a movement to landmark New York's older theaters.

landmark British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• unlandmarked adjective

Etymology

Origin of landmark

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

Example Sentences

I want to see how things play out online as we approach a landmark Senedd election.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

“Integrating Europe’s capital markets to better channel high household savings towards productive investments in the EU will be essential,” ex- European Central Bank President Mario Draghi concluded in his landmark 2024 report on continental competitiveness.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

In 2002, she and Meyer moved into Ursa Major, an architectural landmark whose pool had an entrance in the living room floor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

One thing the Supreme Court made clear in these landmark cases, though, is that the core purpose of the Second Amendment is lawful self-defense.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

The Ithaka was the landmark for where to turn inland toward the Gruyères’ fishing cabin, and George silently steered them south, away from the bay.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Related Words

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