memo

noun

ˈme-(ˌ)mō 

plural memos

: a usually brief written message or report : memorandum

Use headlines, bullets, and lists to organize the memo and the proposal.

—Inc. Magazine

When your boss asks you to find a memo you wrote a year ago, it's hard to remember what you named it.

—Susan Kelley

see also:

get the memo

Synonyms of memo

• letter
• epistle

Examples of memo in a Sentence

He sent a memo to the staff.

a long series of memos between the two authors collaborating on the book

Recent Examples on the Web

Swift’s rehearsal dinner, per an NYPD memo, was set to start in less than an hour, with an intimate group of about 100 guests. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026

For example, a business leader might use AI to translate a vague concern into a specific decision memo, compare the trade-offs between two options or summarize a meeting. — Rawad Baroud, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

But in a memo issued in June, the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel upended that guidance. — ABC News, 1 July 2026

Now, The New York Times is reporting that a New York Police Department memo contains some details about the wedding. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing memo

• counter-memo
• get the memo

Rhymes for memo

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

memo

noun

ˈmem-ō 

plural memos

: memorandum