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
Jamie Hopkins, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
This simple memento is just one way the spirit of my alma mater stays alive.
—Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
Back inside, Winters guides me through his collection of family photos and mementos from his travels.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Thousands of people lined the streets outside Buckingham Palace, leaving notes, flowers and mementos in honor of Diana's life.
—Stephanie Kaloi, People.com, 31 Aug. 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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memento
noun
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