commemorate

verb

com·​mem·​o·​rate kə-ˈme-mə-ˌrāt 

commemorated; commemorating

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

commemorator

kə-ˈme-mə-ˌrā-tər 

noun

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.

Synonyms of commemorate

• celebrate
• memorialize
• honor
• remember

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

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

There have also been a series of bike rides commemorating Sabini and highlighting the conditions of Hutchison Road. —Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026

Today, the invasion is commemorated annually in Normandy, as the number of surviving veterans, now around 100 years old, continues to decline. —David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026

To commemorate the occasion, the former Disney Channel star paid homage to her past and present rockstar persona, pairing a gothic Versace gown with Hannah Montana hair. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 22 May 2026

More celebration of America’s 250th birthday will come in the July issue, but for our last trivia from June’s edition, Jake Lundberg looks back at how the country commemorated its 100th. —Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin commemoratus, past participle of commemorare, from com- + memorare to remind of, from memor mindful — more at memory

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for commemorate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

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Kids 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

commemorator

-ˌrāt-ər 

noun