memento
noun
Libby Lubin
Did you know?
In Latin, memento is the imperative form (meaning it is used as a command) of meminisse, a verb that means “to remember.” (The term memento mori, which refers to a reminder of mortality, translates literally as “remember that you must die,” for example). The history of memento makes it clear where its spelling came from, but because a memento often helps one remember a particular moment, people occasionally spell the term momento. This is typically considered a misspelling, but it appears often enough in edited prose (including the work of such esteemed authors as George Eliot and Dylan Thomas) to have been entered in most dictionaries as an acceptable variant spelling.
Examples of memento in a Sentence
Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Fans of the show are visiting his grave and, according to a staff member at the cemetery, who confirmed to the production, leaving mementos, most often Dead Outlaw Playbills.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Because the fan allegedly smuggled tools into a previous match and tried to remove his seat as a memento.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 16 May 2025
The other memento Papi showed me was a plaque dated 1991 from a trucking trade group.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for memento
Cite this Entry
“Memento.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memento. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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memento
noun
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