commemorate

verb

com·​mem·​o·​rate kə-ˈme-mə-ˌrāt How to pronounce commemorate (audio)
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 noun

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." English speakers have been marking the memory of important events with commemorate since the late 16th century.

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 What looked like a silly stunt, having the actor walk out naked to commemorate the streaker who raced across the Oscar stage a half-century ago, actually became a pretty clever silly stunt by wedding that to presenting best costume design. Brian Lowry, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Visual albums — a bunch of videos strung together to commemorate the release of new work from a musical artist — typically either feel like shameless promotion or a vanity project. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Luckily, soon everyone can, thanks to a new Hollywood Sign fragrance being launched March 8 to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the town’s most famous monument. Benjamin Svetkey, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the coup, the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria—an organization that investigates and memorializes human rights violations in Argentina—combed secret police files for information about the refugees saved by the Argentine embassy in Chile after the coup. Krista Stevens, Longreads, 8 Mar. 2024 The new exhibition will emphasize France’s role in Olympic history, commemorating the many French trailblazers who have shaped the modern games. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 To commemorate the exhibition’s opening, Muñoz and the L.A. skate and streetwear brand Huf, the exhibition presenter, dropped a new capsule collection, including a hat, T-shirt, short-sleeve shirt and sweater. The Editors, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Hamas struck on a Saturday morning after the end of Sukkot, a weeklong celebration to commemorate the harvest season and the time Jews lived in the desert after being freed from slavery in Egypt. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 For example, my dupatta was intricately hand-painted and embellished, in a tribute to the art of Nathdwara, commemorating the place of our engagement. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commemorate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of commemorate was in 1599

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Dictionary Entries Near commemorate

Cite this Entry

“Commemorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

commemorate

verb
com·​mem·​o·​rate kə-ˈmem-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce commemorate (audio)
commemorated; commemorating
1
: to call to remembrance
2
: to mark by a ceremony
3
: to be a memorial of
a plaque that commemorates the battle
commemorator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on commemorate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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