landmark

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. an important stage or event in the development of something.

n. an event, discovery, or change that marks an important stage or turning point in a process.

“The invention of the lightbulb was a landmark in human history.”

“The 1964 Civil Rights Act stands as a landmark of social legislation that fundamentally altered the American legal landscape.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic

n. an object, like a stone or tree, used to show where a piece of land ends.

n. a physical object used to mark the boundary of a property or territory.

“The old oak tree served as a landmark between the two farms for centuries.”

“The surveyors searched for the original stone landmark mentioned in the eighteenth-century deed to resolve the property dispute.”

C1 · Advanced Law American English · Formal

v. to officially name a building as a landmark so it cannot be destroyed.

v. to grant a building or site official status as a landmark, typically to ensure its preservation.

“The city council voted to landmark the historic theatre to save it from developers.”

“Preservationists are campaigning to landmark the mid-century industrial complex before the demolition permits are approved.”