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 & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about commemorate

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Synonyms & Antonyms for commemorate

Synonyms

celebrate, keep, observe

Antonyms

break, transgress, violate

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

Tisha B'Av, which begins this year at sundown on July 21 and ends on July 22 at night fall, is an annual holy day commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. — Sergio Carmona, Jewish Journal, "Temples plan observances of Tisha B'Av, saddest day in Jewish history," 13 July 2018 The group name commemorating some of the last great players under Heathcote have the necessary speed to win a halfcourt game, but the playmaking of Green and Valentine set up Lucas perfectly. — Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press, "Who wins if Detroit Pistons, Michigan, MSU created localBig3 league?," 11 July 2018 The legacy of Wind Gap itself is also a loaded one, as the series reveals in an episode dedicated to Calhoun Day, the festival commemorating the town’s founding. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Twisted, Enthralling Rot of Sharp Objects," 7 July 2018 Trump spent most of his time at the Tuesday dinner, which was held in conjunction with a golf tournament at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, commemorating the Fourth of July and military service. — David Jackson, USA TODAY, "On eve of Independence Day, Trump salutes military and 'tough' ICE immigration agents," 3 July 2018 The Roman Catholic archbishop of New York has joined New York National Guard leaders in Times Square for a ceremony commemorating the centennial of the battlefield service of a storied Army chaplain. — Fox News, "Times Square ceremony honors Father Duffy of WWI fame," 27 June 2018 Parks and arts: For a city of its size, Signal Hill has quite a few parks, many of which contain public artwork commemorating the city’s history. — Scott Garner, latimes.com, "Neighborhood Spotlight: Signal Hill keeps progress in view without blocking out its oil town past," 22 June 2018 The expansive green areas with giant shade trees also were places for major celebrations, including Juneteenth — commemorating June 19, 1865, the day that Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to announce that slavery had ended. — Vincent T. Davis, San Antonio Express-News, "Historian and UTSA archaeologists discover remains at forgotten African American burial site," 18 June 2018 First up on the pair’s itinerary was a ceremony commemorating the opening of a new toll bridge, the Mersey Gateway Bridge over the River Mersey. — Shanté Honeycutt, Billboard, "Meghan Markle Makes Her First Solo Outing With the Queen: See the Photos," 14 June 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.