something erected in memory of a person, event, etc., as a building, pillar, or statue: the Washington Monument. any building, megalith, etc., surviving from a past age, and regarded as of historical or archaeological importance.

A monument is fundamentally a thing—specifically a structure or object—but its significance often turns the site it occupies into a place of cultural importance. By definition, a monument is a physical entity created to commemorate a person, event, or historical period. This can include statues (like the Statue of Liberty), obelisks (the Washington Monument), or even functional buildings that have gained historic status. However, in legal and geographical terms, "National Monuments" often refer to entire protected areas of land (a place) designated by a government to preserve natural or historical resources. Therefore, while the monument itself is the tangible "thing" designed to remind us of the past (from the Latin monere, meaning "to remind"), it serves as a landmark that defines the identity and "sense of place" for its surrounding environment.