commemorate

verb com·mem·o·rate \ kə-ˈme-mə-ˌrāt \

Definition of commemorate

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

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commemorator

play \kə-ˈme-mə-ˌrā-tər\ noun

See commemorate defined for English-language learners

See commemorate defined for kids

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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 of commemorate from the Web

Its Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale commemorates a 2005 St. Patrick’s Day raid by state Alcohol Beverage Control agents to arrest employees smoking pot at the Petaluma plant.

— bill swindell, chicagotribune.com, "Lagunitas rolls out a cannabis beer," 25 Aug. 2017
In the home’s dining area, a painting of the woman and the boat commemorates the inspiration.

— kirk johnson, New York Times, "Pregnant and Far from Home, a Sisterhood of the Expecting," 24 Aug. 2017
This marker commemorates the last Confederate bivouac north of the Mason-Dixon Line, in .

— bonnie berkowitz, Washington Post, "Can you guess where these Confederate monuments were built?," 18 Aug. 2017
One commemorates the 60th anniversary of the world’s first satellite, Sputnik 1, launched Oct. 4, 1957.

— marcia dunn, The Seattle Times, "Spacewalking cosmonauts release 3-D-printed satellite," 17 Aug. 2017
The annual fest, itself, started in 1999 to commemorate the village's then 40th anniversary.

— gerald porter jr., Daily Southtown, "Lynwood provides school supplies, fun at annual festival," 11 Aug. 2017
CELChe will stage a concert to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death on October 9th.

— The Economist, "Challenging the cult of Che Guevara," 20 July 2017
Want to commemorate a special anniversary, memorialize a family member or honor someone — including yourself — for being a vital member of the community?

— elizabeth marie himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Honor someone with a Pathway of Pride plaque," 19 July 2017
Liu’s supporters have sought to commemorate him by visiting beaches, to the dismay of authorities.

— Washington Post, "Liu Xiaobo supporters mark his death amid concerns for widow," 19 July 2017

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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of commemorate

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

See Words from the same year

commemorate Synonyms

Synonyms

memorialize, monumentalize

Antonyms

break, transgress, violate

Related Words

celebrate, keep, observe, remember; enshrine, exalt, glorify, honor; bless, consecrate, sanctify, solemnize

Near Antonyms

disgrace, dishonor

Synonym Discussion of 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

COMMEMORATE Defined for English Language Learners

commemorate

verb

Definition of commemorate for English Language Learners

: to exist or be done in order to remind people of (an important event or person from the past)
: to do something special in order to remember and honor (an important event or person from the past)