monumental

[mon-yuh-men-tl]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR monumental ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

resembling a monument; massive or imposing.

exceptionally great, as in quantity, quality, extent, or degree: a monumental work.

of historical or enduring significance: a monumental victory.

Fine Arts. having the quality of being larger than life; of heroic scale.

of or relating to a monument or monuments.

serving as a monument.

Origin of monumental

From the Late Latin word monumentālis, dating back to 1595–1605. See monument, -al¹

Related formsmon·u·men·tal·ism, nounmon·u·men·tal·i·ty, nounmon·u·men·tal·ly, adverbpre·mon·u·men·tal, adjectiveun·mon·u·men·tal, adjective

Synonyms for monumental

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR monumental ON THESAURUS.COM

1. immense, colossal.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for monumental

Contemporary Examples of monumental

And for Larry Flynt, this might be a monumental opportunity to stick it to the dictator the best way he knows how.
Kim Jong Un, Avert Your Eyes: Sony’s ‘The Interview’ Gets the Porn Parody Treatment
Aurora Snow
December 20, 2014
On August 27, 1776, the Battle of Brooklyn resulted in some monumental maneuvers by both the Patriots and the Red Coats.
The British Royals Reinvade Brooklyn: William and Kate Come Watch Basketball on Historic Battle Site
Justin Jones
December 6, 2014
You may be wondering what work of monumental consequence is contained within these gilded pages.
Rand Paul’s Many Leather-Bound Books
Olivia Nuzzi
November 27, 2014
It was monumental, a great victory not only for Porter and the Innocence Project, but for the principle of justice.
Wrongly Imprisoned for 15 Years Thanks to an Innocence Project
Jacob Siegel
November 13, 2014
At the time, that was a monumental thing for the era, culturally.
Laura Jane Grace’s Trans Punk Rebellion
Melissa Leon
October 10, 2014

Historical Examples of monumental

However, at one turn of the road they passed a monumental fountain.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
He came at a gait in which every movement displayed a vast, monumental strength.
The Night Riders
Ridgwell Cullum
Yes, everybody is an ass, of course; but there is one who is monumental.
A Forest Hearth: A Romance of Indiana in the Thirties
Charles Major
Some of the monumental tombs are of a very impressive and beautiful character.
Aztec Land
Maturin M. Ballou
In monumental churches like Westminster Abbey there are no pews.
Queen Elizabeth
Jacob Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for monumental

monumental

adjective

like a monument, esp in large size, endurance, or importancea monumental work of art

of, relating to, or being a monument

informal (intensifier)monumental stupidity

Derived Formsmonumentality, nounmonumentally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for monumental

adj.

c.1600, "pertaining to a monument," from Late Latin monumentalis "pertaining to a monument," from monumentum (see monument). From 1650s in the loose sense of "vast, stupendous." Related: Monumentally.