monumental

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌmɑnjəˈmɛntəl/ UK /ˌmɒnjʊˈmɛntəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #18057

Meanings

1

adj
extremely important or influential, especially in its lasting effects

The discovery was a monumental advance in modern medicine.
2

adj
enormous, impressive, or requiring a very great effort

Restoring the damaged archive was a monumental task.
3

adj
relating to, serving as, or resembling a monument

The avenue ends at a monumental stone arch.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · extremely important or... historic momentous landmark

2 adj · enormous, impressive, or... immense colossal formidable

3 adj · relating to, serving as, or... commemorativememorial

Opposites

minor insignificant modest

Word family

Derived forms monumentalismmonumentalitymonumentalizemonumentally

Related forms monument memorial

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

monumental scale
A size or extent that is impressively large.

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin monumentalis, from Latin monumentum, "memorial, monument." Monumentum derives from monere, "to remind or warn." The figurative senses extend the imposing scale and lasting significance of a physical monument to events, achievements, and tasks.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# monumental

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌmɑnjəˈmɛntəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌmɒnjʊˈmɛntəl/
**Frequency rank:** 18057

## Meanings
1. extremely important or influential, especially in its lasting effects
2. enormous, impressive, or requiring a very great effort
3. relating to, serving as, or resembling a monument

## Examples
- The discovery was a monumental advance in modern medicine.
- Restoring the damaged archive was a monumental task.
- The avenue ends at a monumental stone arch.

## Synonyms
- momentous
- historic
- immense
- colossal

## Antonyms
- minor
- insignificant
- modest

## Derived Forms
- monumentalism
- monumentality
- monumentalize
- monumentally

## Related Forms
- monument
- memorial

## Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin monumentalis, from Latin monumentum, "memorial, monument." Monumentum derives from monere, "to remind or warn." The figurative senses extend the imposing scale and lasting significance of a physical monument to events, achievements, and tasks.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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