landmark

American  

[land-mahrk] / ˈlændˌmɑrk /

noun

• landmarks
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• unlandmarked
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• landmarks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of landmark

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

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Explanation

A landmark is anything that helps you know where you are — in space, in time, in history. If you’re sailing from Europe to New York, the Statue of Liberty will be the landmark that lets you know you’re in the right port. If you’re walking to your cousin’s house, the pizza shop on the corner is the landmark that lets you know you just have two blocks to go. Getting your driver’s license is a landmark event, as was the Revolutionary War — though which battle was harder is yours to determine.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

landmark landmarks

The SolarStratos plane made the landmark flight from Sion airport in southwest Switzerland on August 12 last year, taking advantage of warm air thermals to beat a 15-year-old record.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, celebrated the 20-year anniversary of landmark climate legislation he signed while in office alongside Democrats including Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

NHS maternity staff who were exposed to excessive levels of nitrous oxide have received "landmark" payouts totalling £735,000, a union said.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

In a landmark case against authorities at the notorious Robben Island prison, Pillay secured the right for political prisoners to access legal representation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The Union armies usually chose the landmark nearest to their own lines, like a river or a stream.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

Pretty much all landmarks, even the one that, Kubrick groused, reduced him to a “hired hand”—1960’s “Spartacus,” a brilliant mid-century epic but not really Kubrickian.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

The eastern city of Baalbek has one of Lebanon's best-known landmarks: a stunningly well-preserved Roman temple complex set against the mountainous border with Syria.

From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026

A favorite spot for movie and TV filming, it has survived earthquakes, a notorious shooting and other natural disasters, But early Monday, a fire ripped through the district, destroying some of its most cherished landmarks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

The Midlands-born athlete has curated her nail art to reference landmarks within Birmingham, where the competition is being held, including nods to the Jewellery Quarter and the Bull Ring, external.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

More than 11,000 buildings were leveled, including many beloved historical and cultural landmarks.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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Related Words

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

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