Word
monolithic
Phoneticsmono·lith·ic
US/ˌmɑnəˈɫɪθɪk/
UK/mˌɒnəʊlˈɪθɪk/
Definitions
01large and uniform
C1 · Advanced Academic
adj. describes a large organisation or system that is very powerful and never changes.
adj. characterised by massiveness, total uniformity, and a lack of individual variation or internal flexibility.
“The company was a monolithic organisation where every office looked and acted exactly the same.”
“Critics argued that the monolithic political system stifled local innovation by imposing a single, rigid set of rules across the entire country.”
Synonyms
02software architecture
C1 · Advanced Computing Technical
adj. describes a computer program where all the parts are joined together in one big piece.
adj. referring to a software architecture where the entire application is composed as a single, indivisible unit.
“The team decided to break their monolithic software into smaller, easier pieces.”
“While monolithic architectures are simpler to deploy initially, they often become difficult to scale as the codebase grows in complexity.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03made of one stone
C2 · Proficiency Technical
adj. made from a single, large piece of stone.
adj. formed or carved from a single block of stone; relating to or resembling a monolith.
“The ancient temple featured several monolithic columns carved from solid granite.”
“The archaeologists were fascinated by the monolithic statues, wondering how such massive single stones were transported across the desert.”
Real-World Examples
“Referring to AI as a black box frames these systems in terms of restricted incomprehensibility: a monolithic stranger to human control and understanding.” “A megacorporation in the 1980s was a big, slow, monolithic thing.” “Similar to during the COVID-19 pandemic, the monolithic ‘everybody must fall in line or you are a traitor’ loyalty test push has already begun, with attacks awaiting those who fall out of line.” “The lesson here is that Communism was never as monolithic as it seemed.” Etymology
From French monolithique. By surface analysis, monolith + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/monolithic