memoir

noun

mem·​oir ˈmem-ˌwär 

-ˌwȯr

1

: an official note or report : memorandum

2

a

: a narrative composed from personal experience

Every memoir reminds us of the faraway and long ago, of loss and change, of persons and places beyond recall …

—Abigail McCarthy

b

: autobiography

—usually plural

His memoirs recall his student days at Harvard.

c

: biography

his memoir of his longtime friend

3

a

: an account of something noteworthy : report

The work described and discussed in this memoir represents a first-class investigation.

—J. A. Steers

b

memoirs plural : the record of the proceedings of a learned society

memoirist

ˈmem-ˌwär-ist 

-ˌwȯr-

noun

Synonyms of memoir

• biography
• autobiography

Examples of memoir in a Sentence

a retired politician who is writing his memoirs

He has written a memoir of his mother.

a memoir of Hollywood in the 1930s

Recent Examples on the Web

The memoir delves deep into Dane’s ALS battle, including his initial diagnosis. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 3 Nov. 2026

Ahead of Sofia Franklyn’s memoir, Daddy Issues, out on November 10, Franklyn has been reliving the drama from her Call Her Daddy days, including her friendship and business partnership breakup with Alex Cooper. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2026

Sarah Haas uses jealousy as both lens and character in this memoir. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026

The two-time Oscar winner wrote in his upcoming memoir, Look at Me, that Nichols was gruff in their interactions. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French memoire, from memoire memory, from Latin memoria

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for memoir

• adar
• afar
• ajar
• alar
• alvar
• bazaar
• bizarre
• boxcar
• boyar
• bulbar
• cachar
• cigar

Kids Definition

memoir

noun

mem·​oir ˈmem-ˌwär 

-ˌwȯ(ə)r

1

a

: a story of a personal experience

b

: autobiography

—usually used in plural

c

: biography

2

: report entry 1 sense 2