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
Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 25 Apr. 2025
But don’t let the Sinatra mementos like a baby grand piano distract you too much: Up-to-date touches are sprinkled throughout, such as high-end Viking appliances in the kitchen.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2025
They can’t be kept, but the caddie of the winning golfer can send a letter to tournament organizers requesting it and the jumpsuit will then be sent to them as a memento of the win, according to The Masters official website.
—Larry Holder, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Not far from it are mementos from men who fought more recently in places like Afghanistan and Iraq during the Global War on Terror.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 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 4 May. 2025.
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memento
noun
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