national monument

American  

noun

1. a monument, as a historic site or geographical area, owned and maintained in the public interest by the federal government.

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Etymology

Origin of national monument

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Compare meaning

How does national-monument compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• national monument vs. national park

Example Sentences

La Paz, the UFW headquarters in Kern County where Chávez moved the union operations in the 1970s, is a national monument.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

The ceremony took place at the historic Les Invalides national monument, the resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte, in the presence of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, top left-wing politicians, and other high-profile guests.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Stonewall, located in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, was declared a national monument in 2016 by President Barack Obama.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

Within a decade of Ellis Island’s closure in 1954, it had become a national monument.

From Slate • Jul. 17, 2025

In the years that followed, the Johnston Ridge Observatory was built there as a formal part of the national monument.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone