commemorate

verb

Save Word

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

Keep scrolling for more

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 Barrington officials plan to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks with a ceremony in Memorial Park followed by a concert at Barrington’s White House. — Elizabeth Owens-schiele, chicagotribune.com, 30 Aug. 2021 Def Leppard will be bringin’ on the heartbreak again with a streaming special to commemorate the anniversary at 4 p.m. — Gary Graff, cleveland, 25 Aug. 2021 The car next passed to the Joussy family in 1951 and was cited in The Bugatti Book, published in 1954 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Bugatti Owner’s Club. — Robert Ross, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2021 On Sunday, during a binational event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Friendship Park, there were also greetings to the neighbors south of the border— but this time from a distance. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2021 The Dodgers' jersey are helping to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Fernandomania in 1981 when sensation Fernando Valenzuela won the National League Rookie of the Year award, Cy Young award and helped Los Angeles win the World Series. — Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2021 Porsche is only building 30 of the cars, which commemorate the 25th anniversary of Porsche's partnership with Mathey-Racing. — Annie White, Car and Driver, 6 Aug. 2021 July 20, 1994 - Joins 19 other astronauts and US President Bill Clinton at a White House ceremony to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon walk. — Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, 22 July 2021 Scores more were injured, and many were hoping to join families of their former friends to commemorate this year's anniversary. — Mark Lewis, Star Tribune, 21 July 2021

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.