commemorate

verb

com·mem·o·rate | \ kə-ˈme-mə-ˌrāt

commemorated; commemorating

Definition of commemorate

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

Other Words from commemorate Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about commemorate

Keep scrolling for more

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

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." Some distant older relatives are Old English "gemimor" ("well-known"), Greek mermēra ("care"), and Sanskrit "smarati" ("he remembers"). English speakers have been marking the memory of important events with "commemorate" since the late 16th century.

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

On June 20, the world commemorates World Refugee Day in honor of their perseverance. — Fiza Pirani, ajc, "How to help refugees around Atlanta and beyond," 20 June 2018 The shoe drive commemorates the beginning of each episode when Fred Rogers would change out of his loafers and put on a pair of sneakers. — Staff Report, Post-Tribune, "Community news," 14 June 2018 Flag Day commemorates the selection of our official flag of the United States, the familiar, rousing and stirring Stars and Stripes! — Heloise, Houston Chronicle, "Here’s to the U.S. flag!," 13 June 2018 The Yorkville City Council has approved plans to erect a historical marker to commemorate the original location of Illinois' northern boundary which ran through the city. — Linda Girardi, Aurora Beacon-News, "Yorkville marker to honor Illinois' original northern border," 12 May 2018 These men fought to commemorate Lafayette’s support for U.S. liberty, and after U.S. troops reached France in World War I, Lieut. — Alice George, Smithsonian, "The American Revolution Was Just One Battlefront in a Huge World War," 28 June 2018 First Lady Helen Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the Japanese Ambassador, formally planted the first two Yoshino cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in 1912, where a plaque remains today to commemorate the event. — Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, "How Cherry Blossoms Became the Most Celebrated Event of the Spring," 2 Apr. 2019 As fans take to social media to commemorate the Star Wars actor, her daughter, Billie Lourd shared her own touching tribute. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Billie Lourd Posted an Instagram Tribute on the Anniversary of Carrie Fisher’s Death," 27 Dec. 2018 The Journal Sentinel reported that Sandra had taken third place just two years earlier in a citywide competition with her essay commemorating the life of Martin Luther King. — Ivan Moreno, The Seattle Times, "Man arrested after girl, 13, fatally shot in Milwaukee home," 20 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commemorate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.