An obeliska tall stone pillar, often standing alone as a monument can mean a tall stone monument with a taperinggradually becoming thinner toward one end shape, or a special printing mark used for cross references and footnotesnotes printed at the bottom of a page. The monument sense is by far the more common everyday meaning.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈɑbəlɪsk/
Easy pronunciation: OB-uh-lisk (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress on the first syllable.
Use this pronunciation for the stone pillar meaning, not the footnote symbol.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Obelisk Meaning
a tall, tapering stone monument
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A tall stone pillar with a rectangular base that narrows to a pointed top.
Example: The city square is dominated by a granite obelisk.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Obelisk
Meaning 2
a printing symbol used for notes or references
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A character used in printing to indicate a cross reference or footnote.
Example: The article uses an obelisk to mark the footnote.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- dagger — A standard typography term for this symbol.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Obelisk Synonyms
the printing symbol sense
- dagger
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Don’t confuse the monument sense of obelisk with the printing symbol sense.
- The word is often used for the monument in everyday English, not the footnote mark.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does obelisk mean?
Most commonly, an obelisk is a tall stone monument that narrows to a pointed top. It can also mean a printing symbol used to mark a footnote or cross reference.
What is a synonym for obelisk?
For the printing-symbol sense, dagger is a synonym. For the monument sense, there isn’t a short exact everyday synonym in the supplied data.
What is an obelisk in architecture?
In architecture and history, an obelisk is a tall stone monument with a rectangular base and a pointed top.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.