landmark

landmark — noun

1. a well-known building, monument, or natural feature that is very easy to recogni

1.nounB1
Definition

a well-known building, monument, or natural feature that is very easy to recognize and that helps people know where they are, especially when they are in an unfamiliar area.

Example

The Eiffel Tower is the best-known landmark in Paris.

best-known + landmark

We agreed to meet near the old clock tower, a local landmark everyone knows.

local landmark

Common collocations
  • famous landmark
  • well-known landmark
  • local landmark
  • historic landmark
  • recognizable landmark
  • landmark building
Synonyms
  • monument

    a monument is built to commemorate a person or event; a landmark is any recognizable place

  • sight

    a sight is something worth seeing, often for tourists; a landmark is more about recognizability and orientation

  • feature

    broader term covering any notable part of a landscape, not necessarily widely known

Grammar Patterns

landmark + in [place]

adjective + landmark

Common Mistakes

That café on the corner is my favourite landmark.
That café on the corner is my favourite spot.
a landmark must be a widely known, recognizable place, not just any place you personally like.

2. an event, discovery, invention, or achievement that represents a very important

2.nounB2
Definition

an event, discovery, invention, or achievement that represents a very important stage in the development of something, such as a technology, a social movement, or a field of study.

Example

The invention of the smartphone was a landmark in communication technology.

landmark in [field]

The Supreme Court's ruling on marriage equality is considered a landmark for civil rights.

landmark for [cause]

Common collocations
  • landmark decision
  • landmark ruling
  • landmark case
  • landmark agreement
  • landmark achievement
  • landmark event
  • landmark study
Synonyms
  • milestone

    milestone can be personal or general; landmark is reserved for broader historical or societal importance

  • turning point

    turning point emphasizes a change of direction; landmark emphasizes a notable stage or achievement

  • breakthrough

    breakthrough suggests a sudden, dramatic advance; landmark can be a gradual but important stage

Grammar Patterns

landmark + in [field/event]

landmark + for [cause]

landmark + [noun] (attributive)

Usage Note

Often used as an adjective before nouns such as 'decision,' 'case,' 'ruling,' or 'agreement' to mean 'very important and influential.' For example: 'a landmark ruling.'

Common Mistakes

Passing my driving test was a landmark in my life.
Passing my driving test was a milestone in my life.
landmark is used for major historical or societal developments, not for ordinary personal achievements; milestone works better for personal events.

3. something placed on the ground, such as a carved stone, a fence post, or a speci

3.nounC1
Definition

something placed on the ground, such as a carved stone, a fence post, or a specially planted tree, used to show where one person's land ends and another person's begins.

Example

Farmers used an old oak tree as a landmark for the boundary between their fields.

landmark marking a boundary

A stone landmark has stood at the village border for over two hundred years.

Common collocations
  • stone landmark
  • boundary landmark
  • natural landmark
  • permanent landmark
Synonyms
  • boundary stone

    specific type of landmark, usually a stone placed officially at a border

  • boundary marker

    more general term for any object marking a property line

  • border marker

    specifically used for the edge of a territory or country

Grammar Patterns

landmark + of [area]

adjective + landmark

Common Mistakes

The fence acts as a landmark for their house.
The fence acts as a boundary marker for their property.
the boundary-marker sense of landmark is used for official or traditional land boundaries, not for everyday property markers.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Landmark emphasises recognizability and usefulness for navigation — any prominent building or natural feature that helps you know where you are. A monument is built specifically to commemorate a person or event (e.g., the Lincoln Memorial); not all landmarks are monuments, and not all monuments are easy to spot from a distance. A feature is a broader term for any notable part of a landscape, such as a mountain range or a lake, and does not imply wide recognition. An icon is a landmark that has become culturally symbolic — the Sydney Opera House is both a landmark and an icon. Use landmark when giving directions ('turn left after the red church — it's a well-known landmark'), and icon when discussing cultural identity or global recognition.

landmark ↗monument ↗feature ↗icon ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • serve as a landmark
  • become a landmark
  • marks a landmark

Prepositions

  • as a landmark
  • landmark in [place/field]
  • landmark for [cause]

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Landmark comes from Old English 'land' (ground, territory) + 'mearc' (boundary, sign). Originally, it referred only to an object marking the edge of a piece of land — a boundary stone or tree. By the 1500s, it had broadened to mean any prominent feature in a landscape that could be seen from a distance and used to find one's way. The figurative sense — an event that marks an important stage in development — emerged in the mid-1800s.