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
Abigail McCarthy
b
: autobiography
—usually used in 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 represent a first-class investigation—J. A. Steers
J. A. Steers
b
memoirs plural
: the record of the proceedings of a learned society
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
This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2025
Harry’s 2023 memoir, which revealed intimate details about the House of Windsor, further strained family relations.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
From the New York Times bestselling author, Tembi Locke, comes Someday, Now, a memoir with a deeply personal reflection on grief, blended family, travel, and renewal.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Seamus Heaney’s sonnets about Northern Ireland in the 1970s and Annie Ernaux’s memoirs of France in the 1960s propose indirect but approachable ways of engaging with personal and national history.
—Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for memoir
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Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2025
Harry’s 2023 memoir, which revealed intimate details about the House of Windsor, further strained family relations.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
From the New York Times bestselling author, Tembi Locke, comes Someday, Now, a memoir with a deeply personal reflection on grief, blended family, travel, and renewal.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Seamus Heaney’s sonnets about Northern Ireland in the 1970s and Annie Ernaux’s memoirs of France in the 1960s propose indirect but approachable ways of engaging with personal and national history.
—Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for memoir
Cite this Entry
“Memoir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memoir. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
memoir
noun
mem·oir
ˈmem-ˌwär 
-ˌwȯ(ə)r
1
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