memento
noun
Libby Lubin
Did you know?
In Latin, memento is the imperative form (meaning it is used as a command) of meminisse, a verb that means “to remember.” (The term memento mori, which refers to a reminder of mortality, translates literally as “remember that you must die,” for example). The history of memento makes it clear where its spelling came from, but because a memento often helps one remember a particular moment, people occasionally spell the term momento. This is typically considered a misspelling, but it appears often enough in edited prose (including the work of such esteemed authors as George Eliot and Dylan Thomas) to have been entered in most dictionaries as an acceptable variant spelling.
Examples of memento in a Sentence
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2025
Yet those postcards were special, mementos worth saving from family and friends lucky enough to be traveling.
—Pat Tompkins, AFAR Media, 25 Aug. 2025
Pictures, mementos, gifts, hand-me-downs and so much more.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Graham’s play, like many shows in this year’s offerings, functions as both testimonial and memento.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for memento
Cite this Entry
“Memento.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memento. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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memento
noun
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