monolith
mo·no·lith/ˈmɑn.əˌlɪθ/noun, verb
monolith is spelled M-O-N-O-L-I-T-H: 8 letters and 3 syllables (mo·no·lith). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,565th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, monolith means “A large, single block of stone which is a natural feature; or a block of stone or other similar material used in architecture and sculpture…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of monolith is monoliths.
How many letters and syllables are in monolith?
| Letters | 8: M-O-N-O-L-I-T-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: mo·no·lith |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,565th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is monolith?
Monolith appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,565th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce monolith?
- UK /ˈmɒn.ə.lɪθ/
- UK /ˈmɒn.lɪθ/
- US /ˈmɑn.əˌlɪθ/
Monolith has 3 syllables, split mo·no·lith in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-monolith.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of monolith
- monoliths plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- monolithing participle, present
- monolithed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does monolith mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A large, single block of stone which is a natural feature; or a block of stone or other similar material used in architecture and sculpture, especially one carved into a monument in ancient times.
- 2
Anything massive, uniform, and unmovable, especially a towering and impersonal cultural, political, or social organization or structure.
- 3
A substrate having many tiny channels that is cast as a single piece, which is used as a stationary phase for chromatography, as a catalytic surface, etc.
- 4
UKA dead tree whose height and size have been reduced by breaking off or cutting its branches.
verb
- 1
To create (something) as, or convert (one or more things) into, a monolith.
- 2
To cast (one or more concrete components) in a single piece with no joints.
- 3
UKTo reduce the height and size of (a dead tree) by breaking off or cutting its branches.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Monolith in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense large, single block of stone:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does monolith come from?
The noun is borrowed from French monolithe (“object made from a single block of stone”), from Middle French monolythe (“made from a single block of stone”) (rare), and from their etymon Latin monolithus (“made from a single block of stone”), from Ancient Greek μονόλιθος (monólithos, “made from a single block of stone”), from μονο- (mono-, prefix meaning ‘alone; single’) (from μόνος (mónos, “alone; only, unique”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“little, small”)) + λίθος (líthos, “a stone; stone as a substance”); analysable as mono- + -lith.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).