monumental

adjective

mon·​u·​men·​tal ˌmän-yə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce monumental (audio)
Synonyms of monumentalnext
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

Synonyms of monumental

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Examples of monumental in a Sentence

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.
Still, the increase in child-care support growth has been monumental for California’s early childhood landscape, said Fuller, who hopes the state takes time to evaluate the efforts. — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The Court has ruled that privacy laws must protect against widespread searches of phone location data — a decision that could prove to have a monumental impact on future Fourth Amendment cases. — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 2 July 2026 Today's Supreme Court decision is a monumental victory, not just for the thousands of Michigan families who would have been impacted, but for all Americans. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 30 June 2026 Fifteen years later, in 2009, the LHC began operation—a monumental effort that would define the next era of discovery. — Florencia Canelli, Scientific American, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for monumental

Word History

First Known Use

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
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Cite this Entry

“Monumental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monumental. Accessed 7 Jul. 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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