memo

noun

ˈme-(ˌ)mō 

plural memos

: a usually brief written message or report : memorandum

Use headlines, bullets, and lists to organize the memo and the proposal.

—Inc. Magazine

When your boss asks you to find a memo you wrote a year ago, it's hard to remember what you named it.

—Susan Kelley

see also:

get the memo

Synonyms of memo

• letter
• epistle

Examples of memo in a Sentence

He sent a memo to the staff.

a long series of memos between the two authors collaborating on the book

Recent Examples on the Web

Investigators were able to trace the gun to a legal purchase in Keene, New Hampshire, made by one of the straw purchasers of the scheme, according to the detention memo. — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026

In a memo sent to team presidents, general managers and coaches Friday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert advised the league’s leaders on their approach to the topic of transgender participation in women’s sports. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Calendars, key hooks, magnetic memo boards and chalk or whiteboard surfaces all help keep busy households on track. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Many investors err by assuming future forecasts are accurate, a flaw highlighted by a 2001 Pentagon memo. — Scott Lavelle, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing memo

• counter-memo
• get the memo

Rhymes for memo

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

memo

noun

ˈmem-ō 

plural memos

: memorandum