monolithic

American  

[mon-uh-lith-ik] / ˌmɒn əˈlɪθ ɪk /

adjective

1. 

   of or relating to a monolith.

2. made of only one stone.

   a monolithic column.

3. consisting of one piece; solid or unbroken.

   a boat with a monolithic hull.

4. constructed of monoliths or huge blocks of stone.

   the monolithic monuments of the New Stone Age.

5. characterized by massiveness, total uniformity, rigidity, invulnerability, etc..

   a monolithic society.

6. Electronics. of or relating to an integrated circuit formed in a single chip.

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monolithic British  

/ ˌmɒnəˈlɪθɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or like a monolith

2. characterized by hugeness, impenetrability, or intractability

   a monolithic government

3. electronics (of an integrated circuit) having all components manufactured into or on top of a single chip of silicon See hybrid

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Other Word Forms

• monolithically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of monolithic

First recorded in 1815–25; mono- + -lithic

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Explanation

When something is monolithic it's big, and made of one thing. A large piece of stone jutting from the earth is a monolith, and Detroit's economy when it depended entirely on the auto industry was monolithic. Broken into its roots mono and lithic, monolithic means simply "one stone." When monolithic is used to describe something societal — like a religion or an organization — it has a slightly negative connotation. For example, a monolithic society is rigid and homogenous, not open to new ideas. Being monolithic is good for rocks, but not so good for groups of people.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monolithic

“Retirement just came along and became this monolithic concept,” Samuel said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Director Sam Raimi’s original 1981 “The Evil Dead,” filmed in the Tennessee woods by a bunch of hyperactive dreamers, has since morphed into a monolithic franchise that mainly serves to keep the lights on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

IonQ’s outperformance comes as the market moves away from viewing quantum as a monolithic hype trade and begins to separate the winners from the losers.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

If we choose to collapse into a monolithic, uncritical chorus whenever a wronged woman writes a memoir, we are trading our real potency for the cheap satisfaction of rah-rah-go-us groupthink.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

With nearly eight hundred rooms and a vast, monolithic façade overlooking the Thames, the Cecil was Europe’s largest, if not grandest, hotel—a site typically reserved for diplomatic or national events.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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Related Words

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