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
Pride Month falls in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, which were in response to a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, one of the few establishments in the city at the time that served the LGBTQ+ community.
—
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
Flag Day is commemorated every year on June 14 to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the American flag, according to the Library of Congress.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 12 June 2026
The date became known as Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating freedom and African American history.
—Amari Riley
june 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026
David Beckham received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday, and his eldest son was not in attendance to commemorate the milestone with his mother, Victoria Beckham, and the footballer's other children Romeo, Cruz, and Harper.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for commemorate
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Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
Flag Day is commemorated every year on June 14 to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the American flag, according to the Library of Congress.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 12 June 2026
The date became known as Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating freedom and African American history.
—Amari Riley
june 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026
David Beckham received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday, and his eldest son was not in attendance to commemorate the milestone with his mother, Victoria Beckham, and the footballer's other children Romeo, Cruz, and Harper.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 12 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 16 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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