commemoration

noun

com·​mem·​o·​ra·​tion kə-ˌme-mə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce commemoration (audio)
1
: the act of commemorating
2
: something that commemorates

Example Sentences

Several well-known celebrities attended the commemoration.
Recent Examples on the Web Juneteenth Citywide Celebration: Anchorage, June 17-18 Juneteenth, or June 19, is a commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Anchorage Daily News, 29 May 2023 The commemoration begins every year on the Sunday before the Israeli observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, and just ended on April 23. Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2023 Mosques held prayers inside, rather than out in the open, in a muted commemoration of a typically joyous holiday, the Associated Press reported. Mikhail Klimentov, Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2023 But the commemoration also serves as an unspoken reminder that such diplomatic breakthroughs have become a thing of the past. Peter Baker, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2023 Patrick Semansky/Associated Press This year’s commemoration came as the historic city of roughly 18,000 was still digging out from the aftermath of a January EF-2 tornado that destroyed or damaged thousands of properties in and around Selma. Aamer Madhani And Kim Chandler, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Mar. 2023 During this commemoration in 2016, as hundreds of thousands of devotees prayed to this orisha in an hours-long festivity that always takes place on the beachfront of the Rio Vermelho neighborhood, Cintia Maria, a regular goer, felt deeply bothered. Beatriz Miranda, refinery29.com, 2 Feb. 2023 This annual commemoration is a truly profound occasion in which the United Kingdom comes together to remember those who were murdered, to honour those who survived, and to resolve to work to ensure that the horrors of the past never happen again. Town & Country, 27 Jan. 2023 In Mexico, the commemoration of the Battle of Puebla is limited to a civic celebration held in Puebla that includes representations of the battle. Imelda García, Dallas News, 4 May 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of commemoration was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near commemoration

Cite this Entry

“Commemoration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemoration. Accessed 10 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

commemoration

noun
com·​mem·​o·​ra·​tion kə-ˌmem-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce commemoration (audio)
1
: the act of commemorating
2
: a ceremony that commemorates

More from Merriam-Webster on commemoration

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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