commemorate
verb
com·mem·o·rate
kə-ˈme-mə-ˌrāt 
commemorated; commemorating
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
Did you know?
When you remember something, you are mindful of it. And you are especially mindful when you commemorate something, formalizing your remembrance by doing something special, such as attending a parade or taking part in a ceremony. 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.” 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
Days ago, in the city of Novi Sad, students commemorated victims of the disaster and demanded snap general elections.
—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
The original Baked Alaska dates to 1867, when the legendary French chef Charles Ranhofer, who headed the kitchen at Delmonico's in the late 19th century, created the dessert to commemorate the United States' purchase of Alaska from Russia.
—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
The concert series is one of the numerous events organized by America250PA to commemorate America's 250th anniversary and the Commonwealth's role in the country's foundation.
—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
On this year’s Jerusalem Day — a May 14 holiday that commemorates the capture of east Jerusalem by Israeli forces in 1967 — Ben-Gvir, the far-right minister, waved an Israeli flag in front of the Dome of the Rock, as seen in a video released by his office.
—
Gabe Joselow,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for commemorate
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Reuters,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
The original Baked Alaska dates to 1867, when the legendary French chef Charles Ranhofer, who headed the kitchen at Delmonico's in the late 19th century, created the dessert to commemorate the United States' purchase of Alaska from Russia.
—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2026
The concert series is one of the numerous events organized by America250PA to commemorate America's 250th anniversary and the Commonwealth's role in the country's foundation.
—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
On this year’s Jerusalem Day — a May 14 holiday that commemorates the capture of east Jerusalem by Israeli forces in 1967 — Ben-Gvir, the far-right minister, waved an Israeli flag in front of the Dome of the Rock, as seen in a video released by his office.
—
Gabe Joselow,
NBC news,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for commemorate
Cite this Entry
“Commemorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
commemorate
verb
com·mem·o·rate
kə-ˈmem-ə-ˌrāt
commemorated; commemorating
1
: to call to remembrance
2
: to mark by a ceremony
3
: to be a memorial of
a plaque that commemorates the event
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