monumental

[ mon-yuh-men-tl ]

/ ˌmɒn yəˈmɛn 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.

Nearby words

montrose, montserrat, montville, monty python, monument, monumental, monumentalize, monumentally, monuron, mony, monza

Origin of monumental

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

SYNONYMS FOR monumental

1 immense, colossal.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR monumental ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

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

un·mon·u·men·tal, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

At the time, that was a monumental thing for the era, culturally.
Laura Jane Grace’s Trans Punk Rebellion|Melissa Leon|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the summit of a height called Mostyn mountain, is a monumental stone denominated Maen Achwynfan (the stone of lamentation).
Curiousities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol. 1|Thomas Dugdale
To have done, is to hang / Quite out of fashion, like a rusty mail, / In monumental mockery.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources|James Wood
The gardens are quite open to the public and are set forth with clipped hedges, trees, and monumental stone work of no mean order.
The Cathedrals of Northern France|Francis Miltoun
What is the use to the modern man of this “monumental” contemplation of the past, this preoccupation with the rare and classic?
Thoughts Out of Season (Part II)|Friedrich Nietzsche
Science is not even secure against the temptation of the monumental menu.
Fletcherism|Horace Fletcher

British Dictionary definitions for monumental

monumental

/ (ˌmɒnjʊˈmɛntəl) /

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

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.

monumental

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of monumental

Examples from the Web for monumental

British Dictionary definitions for monumental

monumental

adjective

Word Origin and History for monumental

monumental