commemorate

verb

com·​mem·​o·​rate kə-ˈme-mə-ˌrāt How to pronounce commemorate (audio)
commemorated; commemorating

transitive verb

1
: to call to remembrance
St. Andrew is commemorated on November 30.
2
: to mark by some ceremony or observation : observe
commemorate an anniversary
3
: to serve as a memorial of
a plaque that commemorates the battle
commemorator noun

Did you know?

When you remember something, you are mindful of it. It's appropriate, therefore, that commemorate and other related memory-associated words (including memorable, memorial, remember, and memory itself) come from the Latin root memor, meaning "mindful." English speakers have been marking the memory of important events with commemorate since the late 16th century.

Choose the Right Synonym for commemorate

keep, observe, celebrate, commemorate mean to notice or honor a day, occasion, or deed.

keep stresses the idea of not neglecting or violating.

kept the Sabbath by refraining from work

observe suggests marking the occasion by ceremonious performance.

not all holidays are observed nationally

celebrate suggests acknowledging an occasion by festivity.

traditionally celebrates Thanksgiving with a huge dinner

commemorate suggests that an occasion is marked by observances that remind one of the origin and significance of the event.

commemorate Memorial Day with the laying of wreaths

Examples of commemorate in a Sentence

The festival commemorates the town's founding. The plaque commemorates the battle that took place here 200 years ago. Each year on this date we commemorate our ancestors with a special ceremony.
Recent Examples on the Web The Rangers will have 25 fan giveaways this season, including 15 that will commemorate the postseason where the Rangers won their first-ever World Series title. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024 To commemorate the anniversary, Princess Anne and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh hosted a reception on Tuesday for around 200 veterans of the conflict on behalf of the King. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 The bell ringing has also become an honor (or a marketing opportunity) for many CEOs, often commemorating a special occasion such as an initial public offering. Krystal Hur, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 The Tesla executive was responding to a user’s post commemorating the first deliveries of Tesla’s Model Y car in the Southeast Asian country of Malaysia. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 13 Mar. 2024 The Mortdecai star uploaded a throwback photo of himself and the Iron Man actor to his Instagram story to commemorate the victory. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2024 The Second Gentleman met Phillips and her daughter in 2023 at an event commemorating International Overdose Awareness Day, according to the White House, where the administration officials announced more federal funds would be dedicated to combating accidental overdoses. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 What looked like a silly stunt, having the actor walk out naked to commemorate the streaker who raced across the Oscar stage a half-century ago, actually became a pretty clever silly stunt by wedding that to presenting best costume design. Brian Lowry, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Visual albums — a bunch of videos strung together to commemorate the release of new work from a musical artist — typically either feel like shameless promotion or a vanity project. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commemorate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin commemoratus, past participle of commemorare, from com- + memorare to remind of, from memor mindful — more at memory

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of commemorate was in 1599

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Dictionary Entries Near commemorate

Cite this Entry

“Commemorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

commemorate

verb
com·​mem·​o·​rate kə-ˈmem-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce commemorate (audio)
commemorated; commemorating
1
: to call to remembrance
2
: to mark by a ceremony
3
: to be a memorial of
a plaque that commemorates the battle
commemorator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on commemorate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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