Meaning & use
monument
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Meanings
nouncountable
A large structure such as a statue, arch, or building put up to keep the memory of a person or event alive.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a monument, two monuments, or the monument to Nelson.
Patterns
- a monument to someone
- a monument to something
- build/put up a monument
A stone monument to the fallen soldiers stands in the middle of the square.
They raised a monument to the town's founder on the hill.
The old monument to the battle is visited by thousands of tourists each year.
nouncountabletechnical
An old building, statue, or site that is officially protected because of its historical or artistic importance.
Grammar: Often used in the plural in official contexts: ancient monuments, a list of monuments.
Patterns
- an ancient monument
- a national monument
- a protected monument
The castle is listed as a national monument.
The government spends millions each year restoring ancient monuments.
Visitors are asked not to climb on the monument.
nouncountablefigurative
A clear sign or lasting result of something, especially something impressive or important.
Grammar: Usually followed by to plus a noun: a monument to hard work.
Patterns
- a monument to something
The bridge is a monument to the engineers' skill.
Her long career is a monument to patience and hard work.
Word forms
| plural | monuments |
|---|
Common combinations
- a monument to somebody
- A monument to the poet was unveiled in the park.
- ancient monument
- Ancient monuments in the region attract many visitors.
- national monument
- The canyon was made a national monument in 1936.
- put up a monument
- Local people put up a monument to the victims of the flood.
- a fitting monument
- The new library is a fitting monument to her love of reading.
Synonyms and how they differ
- memorial
- A memorial often honors someone who has died and may be a plaque, garden, or fund rather than a large structure.
- statue
- A statue is a carved or cast figure of a person or animal; it can be a monument, but a monument can also be a building or arch.
- landmark
- A landmark is a well-known feature that helps you find your way; it may be famous but is not necessarily built to remember anyone.
Word family
- monumental adjective
- Very large or impressive, like a monument; also used for great achievements.
- monumentally adverb
- In an extremely large or impressive way, often before words like stupid or difficult.
Commonly confused: monument or moment?
monument vs moment
Moment means a very short period of time; monument means a structure built to remember someone or something.
Practice
Which sentence uses monument correctly?
Choose one answer.
A monument is a structure built to honor people or events, so 'the monument to the soldiers' fits. Option 1 wrongly uses 'moment' (a short time), option 2 confuses the two words, and option 3 uses monument as a verb, which is not standard English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “monument”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.