souvenir

noun

sou·​ve·​nir ˈsü-və-ˌnir 

ˌsü-və-ˈnir

: something kept as a reminder (as of a place one has visited)

a souvenir of her travels

a souvenir shop

Synonyms

• reminder
• memorial

Examples of souvenir in a Sentence

When I went to the Super Bowl, I kept my ticket stub as a souvenir.

kept their love letters as souvenirs of their courtship

Recent Examples on the Web

That spending covers everything from the 48,000 hotel stays at a time when bookings are light ahead of hurricane season, restaurant meals and dining, take-home souvenirs, ground and air transportation, and even salsa dancing lessons. —Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Before or after your hike, swing by the gift shop and artisan center to pick up a few souvenirs to remember your trip to this pocket of Virginia. —Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2025

In the end, the young fan walked away with a souvenir of his own. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025

The city used to collect a percentage of sales revenue from tickets, souvenirs, parking, concessions and suites from events at Joe Louis Arena. —Malachi Barrett, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, act of remembering, from Middle French, from (se) souvenir to remember, from Latin subvenire to come up, come to mind — more at subvention

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing souvenir

• souvenir sheet
• souvenir shop

Rhymes for souvenir

• auctioneer
• bandelier
• belvedere
• bombardier
• brigadier
• buccaneer
• cavalier
• chandelier
• chanticleer
• chevalier
• commandeer
• disappear

Kids Definition

souvenir

noun

sou·​ve·​nir ˈsü-və-ˌni(ə)r 

ˌsü-və-ˈni(ə)r

: something that serves as a reminder : memento