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landmark

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: land mark

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English *landmark, from Old English landmearc (“boundary”), from Proto-West Germanic *landamarku (“boundary, landmark”). Equivalent to land +‎ mark. Cognate with German Landmarke (“landmark”), Danish landemærke (“landmark”), Swedish landmärke (“landmark”), Norwegian landemerke (“landmark”) and Faroese landamark (“land frontier”). Compare also Middle English londes-mark (“boundary”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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landmark (plural landmarks)

  1. (historical) An object that marks the boundary of a piece of land (usually a stone, or a tree).
    Synonym: merestone
  2. A recognizable natural or man-made feature used for navigation.
    Synonyms: marker, mark
    • 2005 January 22, misc.transport.road‎[1] (Usenet):
      Anyone have any weird landmarks they often remember seeing along roads in the olden days?
    • 2026 March 7, Sthitapragta Chakraborty, “America Once Built Giant Arrows to Guide Pilots Across the Country, and Some Still Exist Today”, in Skip Boring‎[2], archived from the original on 24 July 2026:
      Pilots flew at relatively low altitudes to identify ground landmarks, such as railroad tracks, rivers, highways, and distinctive towns.
  3. A notable location with historical, cultural, or geographical significance.
    Synonyms: monument, sight
    • 2025 August 19, Tanya Manus, “‘Far more than just Mount Rushmore’: A closer look at Rapid City”, in CNN‎[3], archived from the original on 26 August 2025:
      Founded in 1876 by disheartened gold prospectors, today downtown Rapid City is a mix of historic landmarks such as the 1928 Hotel Alex Johnson and the 1912 Elks Theatre, along with restaurants, coffee shops, specialty stores, boutiques and art galleries that reflect the busy modern city.
  4. (figurative, also attributive) A major event or discovery.
    Synonym: milestone
    an important landmark in human history
    a landmark paper in neurosurgery
    a landmark ruling/case
    • 2005 January 19, “Bush thanks troops at gala event”, in CNN‎[4], archived from the original on 7 June 2019:
      He called the overthrow of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and the recent elections in Afghanistan landmark events in the history of liberty.
    • 2021 May 15, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 0-1 Leicester”, in BBC Sport‎[5], archived from the original on 1 October 2026:
      Leicester closed out the win to spark emotional scenes as those inside Wembley rejoiced in a landmark victory.
    • 2026 June 27, Sally Weale, “Screen time can damage under-twos’ development, landmark study suggests”, in The Guardian‎[6], →ISSN, archived from the original on 27 June 2026:
      Screen time for babies and toddlers under the age of two has been linked with long-term negative effects on health and quality of life and should be avoided, according to a landmark study.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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landmark (third-person singular simple present landmarks, present participle landmarking, simple past and past participle landmarked)

  1. (US) To officially designate a site or building as a landmark.
    • 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 413, about Woolpit:
      St Mary's Church stands on the north side of the village, a building of flint and stone with a 140 ft high steeple that landmarks one of the most beautiful churches in Suffolk.
    • 2007 March 25, Jeff Vandam, “Preservationists’ Rallying Cry”, in New York Times‎[7], archived from the original on 28 April 2023:
      “Permitted demolition or stripping rarely occurs on landmarked buildings,” she said. Ms. de Bourbon also noted that the city already requires the Buildings Department to hold permits for 40 days for “calendared” properties — those currently under landmarks consideration — so the commission has a chance to designate them.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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