1. to create a monument to commemorate someone or something
2. to make something appear grand, impressive, or enduring like a monument

Examples

• The city decided to monumentalize the war heroes with a bronze statue.
• The artist sought to monumentalize the everyday struggles of working families.
• Critics argued that the film monumentalized a controversial historical figure.
• The memorial garden was designed to monumentalize the victims of the tragedy.
• She felt the biography monumentalized her grandfather’s simple life story.
• The museum exhibition monumentalizes the civil rights movement.
• Local residents wanted to monumentalize their neighborhood’s rich cultural heritage.