Monolit

A monolith (from Greek monos meaning 'single' and lithos meaning 'stone') generally refers to a large single upright block of stone, especially one serving as a pillar or monument.

More broadly, the term can describe:

• Geology: A single, large, standing geological feature composed of a single rock or stone, such as a mountain or large rock formation. These are often formed by erosion exposing a particularly resistant geological feature.

• Archaeology: An object made from a single large stone, often used in prehistoric monuments or religious structures. Examples include standing stones, obelisks, and certain types of megaliths.

• Architecture: A structure or building, or a significant part thereof, constructed from a single, large piece of material.

• Figuratively: Something that is large, imposing, and unified, often suggesting inflexibility or an unchanging nature. This usage often carries negative connotations. It implies a system, organization, or entity that is difficult to change or adapt.

• Software Architecture: (A modern usage) A monolithic application is a single-tiered software application in which the user interface and data access code are combined into a single program from a single platform. A monolithic architecture is designed to be self-contained, and independent from other computing applications. The opposite of a monolithic application is a distributed application, which is developed using a microservices architecture.