memorial

1 of 2

adjective

me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce memorial (audio)
1
: serving to preserve remembrance : commemorative
2
: of or relating to memory
memorially adverb

memorial

2 of 2

noun

1
: something that keeps remembrance alive: such as
a
b
: something (such as a speech or ceremony) that commemorates
2
a
: record, memoir
language and literature … the memorials of another ageJ. H. Fisher
b
: memorandum, note
specifically : a legal abstract
c
: a statement of facts addressed to a government and often accompanied by a petition or remonstrance

Examples of memorial in a Sentence

Adjective a memorial plaque on the bridge for a diver who died in the line of duty Noun the Vietnam War Memorial is a starkly beautiful testimonial to the bravery of the soldiers who served in Vietnam
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
William was due to give a reading at the memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece on Feb. 27 but canceled at short notice. Jennifer Hassan, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Plans for a memorial service will be announced at a later time, officials aid. Li Cohen, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 The wave of posts and memes seemingly coincided with Prince William backing out of a memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, due to personal matters. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024 After the Florida deaths, stunned members of the Irish community in New York, where both men had spent time, hosted a memorial service. Isabel Rosales, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 The prince abruptly pulled out of attending a memorial service honoring his late godfather on Tuesday. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 1 Mar. 2024 At the scene of the rail crash in Tempi, central Greece, relatives of the victims gathered for a memorial service as churches across the country tolled their bells 57 times Wednesday morning to honor the dead. Derek Gatopoulos and Costas Kantouris, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 The joint, public memorial service for the three Burnsville first responders killed in the line of duty is today. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 28 Feb. 2024 Moran’s family held a memorial service for him on Feb. 10. Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
It is understood that William’s non-attendance was not tied to the news of Kingston’s death, which was revealed publicly on the same day as Constantine’s memorial. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Their demands go beyond a memorial, said Jorge Verástegui, a member of a group searching for the disappeared. Luis Antonio Rojas, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 National recreation areas made up 16 percent of all visits, followed by national memorials at 13 percent. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Harvard’s memorial to her sons lost in the Civil War sets in stone the names all of the Union dead, none of the Confederates. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 27 Feb. 2024 On March 8, close to the 40th anniversary of the crash, the monument is slated to be dedicated in the Fifth Marine Memorial Garden, at Camp San Mateo on the northern end of the base, where there are other memorials, including one to Vietnam veterans. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024 One week after a citywide Super Bowl victory celebration ended with 25 people shot, the two teenage girls made a stop at the memorial set up at Union Station in honor of the victims. Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2024 Over 400 Russian supporters of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died last week in an Arctic prison, have been arrested for paying tributes as modest as laying flowers at the impromptu memorials that have sprung up across the country, a Russian rights group reported Sunday. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 In Moscow on Monday night, a steady trickle of mourners continued to pay respects to Navalny by laying flowers at the Solovetsky stone, a memorial for victims of the Soviet gulags, under the watchful eye of a dozen or so police officers. Robyn Dixon, Emily Rauhala, arkansasonline.com, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'memorial.' 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

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin memorialis, from memoria memory

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of memorial was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near memorial

Cite this Entry

“Memorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memorial. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

memorial

1 of 2 adjective
me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmōr-ē-əl How to pronounce memorial (audio)
-ˈmȯr-
: serving to preserve the memory of a person or an event
a memorial service
memorially adverb

memorial

2 of 2 noun
: something that keeps alive the memory of a person or event
especially : monument sense 1

More from Merriam-Webster on memorial

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