monumental

1 of 2

adjective

mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce monumental (audio)
Synonyms of monumental
1
: serving as or resembling a monument : massive
monumental sculptures
also : highly significant : outstanding
a monumental painting that stunned the American public
2
: of or relating to a monument
modern monumental architecture
3
: very great
a monumental misunderstanding
monumentality
ˌmän-yə-mən-ˈta-lə-tē How to pronounce monumental (audio)
-ˌmen-
noun
monumentally
ˌmän-yə-ˈmen-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce monumental (audio)
adverb

monumentality

2 of 2

noun

mon·​u·​men·​tal·​i·​ty
-ˌmen‧-, 
-lətē, 
-i
plural -es
: the quality or state of being monumental
differentiates modern design from the immobile and ponderous monumentality of the past—Lewis Mumford

Synonyms of monumental

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Adjective

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Examples of monumental in a Sentence

Adjective It's more than a mistake; it's a case of monumental stupidity. the monumental complexity of the issue Repairing the damage will be a monumental task. The class was about modern monumental architecture.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
This was a monumental miss by pollsters, one that likely dampened turnout in what was the nation’s marquee race in the Democrats’ intraparty battle over the party’s future direction. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 Bortigali, the town where the archaeological site is located, is about 40 miles north and inland of Mont’e Prama, where ancient sculptural fragments and a monumental necropolis were first discovered in the 1970s. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Several light-up Eiffel Towers commanded tables, along with elegant centerpieces, some monumental, topped with crystal spheres sporting sprays of illuminated optical fiber. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Realistically, Los Angeles takes pole position here, if for no other reason than a team at +175 shouldn’t be able to move to +150 this late in the game without a monumental move. — J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for monumental

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of monumental was in 1596

Rhymes for monumental

See All Rhymes for monumental

Browse Nearby Words

monument
monumental
monumentalism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monumental. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

monumental

adjective
mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈment-ᵊl How to pronounce monumental (audio)
1
: of or relating to a monument
2
: serving as or resembling a monument : massive
also : highly significant : outstanding
3
: very great
monumental stupidity
monumentally
-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce monumental (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on monumental

Nglish: Translation of monumental for Spanish Speakers

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