monolith

noun

mono·​lith ˈmä-nə-ˌlith How to pronounce monolith (audio)
Synonyms of monolith
1
: a single great stone often in the form of an obelisk or column
A granite monolith stands at the center of the park.
2
: a massive structure
The 73-story monolith is one of Europe's tallest buildings.
3
: an organized whole that acts as a single unified powerful or influential force
The movie company grew into a monolith of the entertainment industry.

Examples of monolith in a Sentence

The new office building is a massive steel and concrete monolith. The media monolith owns a number of networks.
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.
Brock, like other great chefs of his generation, understand that the cuisines of the South are neither monoliths nor shibboleths. — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Like the religion itself which holds a spectrum of beliefs ranging from Orthodox to Reform Judaism, Jewish voters are not a monolith, said Brian Siegal, director of the Miami and Broward regions of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 But the rebels were not a monolith—there was a constellation of groups, with competing aims. — Austin Elias-De Jesus, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026 Its time slots on Sunday or Monday nights in September nearly always lead to a clash with the rating monolith of the NFL. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for monolith

Word History

Etymology

French monolithe, from monolithe consisting of a single stone, from Latin monolithus, from Greek monolithos, from mon- + lithos stone

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of monolith was in 1836

Rhymes for monolith

See All Rhymes for monolith

Browse Nearby Words

monoliteral
monolith
monolithic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monolith.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monolith. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

monolith

noun
mono·​lith ˈmän-ᵊl-ˌith How to pronounce monolith (audio)
1
: a single great stone often in the form of a monument or column
2
: something large and powerful (as a political organization) that is thought to function as a unified whole
monolithic
ˌmän-ᵊl-ˈith-ik
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on monolith

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