monumental

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

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.
Wednesday’s opener marked a monumental occasion in Toronto — the return of Leonard, a franchise legend who led the Raptors to an NBA championship in 2019 in his lone previous season with the team. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Alicja Kwade wrote yesterday on Instagram that her monumental stone sculpture, on view outside the Grand Palais as part of the fair’s Public Program for large-scale art, would be removed early. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Moving the needle at this scale requires monumental revenue beats that are increasingly difficult to engineer. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 Then, also for the third-straight time, the Tennessee football team was joined on the field by thousands of fans looking to celebrate the monumental win over their hated rival. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 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

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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 27 Oct. 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
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