landmark

noun

land·​mark ˈland-ˌmärk 

1

: an object (such as a stone or tree) that marks the boundary of land

2

a

: a conspicuous object on land that marks a locality

b

: an anatomical structure used as a point of orientation in locating other structures

3

: an event or development that marks a turning point or a stage

4

: a structure (such as a building) of unusual historical and usually aesthetic interest

especially : one that is officially designated and set aside for preservation

Synonyms

• climacteric
• climax
• corner
• milepost
• milestone
• turning point
• watershed

Examples of landmark in a Sentence

The Golden Gate Bridge is a famous landmark in San Francisco.

The battlefield is a national historical landmark.

The moon landing is a landmark in space exploration.

The decision was a landmark in legal history.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Bauer Hotel is located in the heart of Venice and considered one of the city’s architectural treasures, and a landmark of the late 19th-century Venetian medieval mannerism movement. —Sofia Celeste, WWD, 21 Nov. 2024

The Battle of Marathon was a landmark event in Greek history, coming to embody Hellenic freedom and a unified identity for centuries thereafter. —Miriam Kamil, JSTOR Daily, 20 Nov. 2024

This landmark series will look at the 24 hours before and after Diana’s death in forensic detail and follow the story through to her funeral one week later when the world mourned the passing of an icon. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024

The first, 43 years ago, was a 'lesson learned' With landmark 'Inside the NBA' trade, ESPN and boss Jimmy Pitaro win big Canadiens weekly notebook: Christian Dvorak is providing what's expected of him The Bounce: 'Inside the NBA' is officially saved! —New York Times, 18 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

landmark

noun

land·​mark ˈlan(d)-ˌmärk 

1

: an object that marks the boundary of land

2

a

: a usually large object on land that is easy to see and can help a person find the way to a place near it

b

: an important building or monument

historical landmarks

3

: an event that marks a turning point

Medical Definition

landmark

noun

land·​mark -ˌmärk 

1

: an anatomical structure used as a point of orientation in locating other structures (as in surgical procedures)

2

: a point on the body or skeleton from which anthropological measurements are taken

Legal Definition

landmark

noun

land·​mark

often attributive

1

: an object (as a stone or tree) that marks a boundary of land

2

: an event or development that marks a turning point or stage

a landmark decision

3

: a structure (as a building) of unusual historical or aesthetic interest

especially : one that is officially designated and set aside for preservation