What Is the Meaning of Monolith?

The word "monolith" comes from the Greek words "mon," meaning singular, and "lithos," meaning stone. The term has come to be applied primarily to architecture or structures carved out of a single massive piece of stone.

Origin

The phrase originally comes from the French "monolithe," as derived from Greek, and was first used in 1844. The mid-to-late 1800s were a period of increasing interest in archeology, with professional study of ancient ruins just beginning.

Monolithic Statues

The Great Sphinx

In the ancient world, it was easier to carve a gargantuan statue out of a single piece of stationary rock than to build a statue of immense size piece by piece. One of the best known, and the largest monolithic statue in the world, is the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt.

Monolithic Architecture

Many ancient buildings, and some modern ones are considered monolithic. A monolithic building, rather than being constructed, was carved out of a single continuous piece of stone, often part of the landscape such as a mountainside or rock outcropping. This style of architecture was particularly popular in Asia, and an example can be seen in the Pancha Rathas temple complex in India.

Obelisks

Egyptian Obelisk

In popular usage, the term "monolith" is sometimes used as shorthand for an obelisk. Obelisks are tall, four-sided monuments that taper off at the top. They were prominent in the architecture of ancient Egypt, and were almost universally monolithic. However, there are examples of obelisks in the architecture of cultures around the world. The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., though not monolithic, is an obelisk.

Popular usage

The word "monolithic" is often used to describe an influential or predominant group that acts as a whole, such as a business or art movement. This is due to the association of the word 'monolith' with immense, imposing monuments.

References

• "Monolith" at Merriam-Webster
• Ancient India