commemorate

verb

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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

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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 Two books by Barthélemy Imbert that were owned by Marie Antoinette commemorate the historic 1783 test flight of a hot-air balloon designed by the Montgolfier brothers. — Brenda Cronin, WSJ, 11 June 2021 Around the country, people commemorate Juneteenth with church services, social events, and festivals where special recipes and food take center stage. — al, 11 June 2021 Community members commemorate the start of construction on what will be the Springdale History and Visitor Center Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Springdale, Utah. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 May 2021 The commission was created in 1917 to commemorate the deaths of service members in cemeteries and memorials across the world. — BostonGlobe.com, 22 Apr. 2021 In 1945, the Datejust was created in Geneva to commemorate the company’s 40th anniversary. — Brynn Wallner, Harper's BAZAAR, 16 Apr. 2021 Inside the suitcase created with British Airways to commemorate the retirement of the 747 (£1,935). — Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2021 Created in 2007 by the Wild to commemorate the game that has made Minnesota the State of Hockey, the celebration is a day-long television event on Fox Sports North that highlights the sport from peewees to pros. — Sarah Mclellan, Star Tribune, 21 Oct. 2020 Labor Day was created by the labor movement over a century ago to commemorate the economic contributions of American workers. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 4 Sep. 2020

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.