monumentum

Monumentum is a Latin noun of neuter gender meaning a monument, memorial, or object that preserves memory of a person, event, or idea. It is derived from the verb monere, “to remind,” with the suffix -mentum, indicating a device or result that causes remembrance. In Latin grammar, monumentum belongs to the second declension; its nominative singular is monumentum, genitive monumenti, and the plural is monumenta (nominative/accusative).

Classical usage covers physical structures such as statues, inscriptions, altars, or buildings intended to memorialize someone or something, as well as figurative memorials like poetry that keeps memory alive. A famous example is Horace’s Exegi monumentum aere perennius, meaning “I have built a monument more lasting than bronze.”

In modern scholarship monumentum appears primarily in discussions of Latin epigraphy, literature, and ancient history. The term is generally used in its Latin form within scholarly texts, whereas in English translations it is typically rendered as “monument” or “memorial.” The word also appears in discussions of commemorative practices and inscriptional culture across the classical world.