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
Phrases
get the memo
informal + often humorous
: to hear about or become aware of something generally known
typically used in negative constructions to point to someone's surprising lack of awareness, to say that something did not happen as expected, etc.
Officials often warn tourists not to enter the water, but several tourists searching for that perfect Instagram photo apparently did not get the memo.The San Francisco Chronicle
The calendar may say only five more days until fall, but mother nature did not get the memo. It is going to be hot and feel even hotter over the next couple of days.Carrie Duncan
You're not still wearing those acid-washed jeans, are you? Tube socks and shorts? … OK, so no one told you. You didn't get the memo. Those things went out with neckties the size of small landing strips.Christine Keating
It was expected to be a five-set test of endurance … But, Edberg apparently did not get the memo because he just dominated Courier and captured his first- ever U.S. Open title with a straight set triumph at the National Tennis Center in New York.Van Earl Wright

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Each takes charge of a day of the week, leaving voice memos and diary entries for the others; their texts and transcripts form the book. Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025 Reallocating prime space, improving daylight, or curating meaningful art can send a clearer message than a memo. Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025 Without probable cause, Windsor could not have forced or compelled a blood test, breath test or urine test, De Bree’s memo said. Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025 How are school districts responding? Michigan's Department of Education recommended that public schools continue to offer free meals to students in a memo dated Aug. 7. Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for memo

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of memo was in 1705

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Cite this Entry

“Memo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memo. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

memo

noun
plural memos

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