memorial

1 of 2

adjective

me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce memorial (audio)
1
: serving to preserve remembrance : commemorative
2
: of or relating to memory
memorially adverb

memorial

2 of 2

noun

1
: something that keeps remembrance alive: such as
a
b
: something (such as a speech or ceremony) that commemorates
2
a
: record, memoir
language and literature … the memorials of another ageJ. H. Fisher
b
: memorandum, note
specifically : a legal abstract
c
: a statement of facts addressed to a government and often accompanied by a petition or remonstrance

Examples of memorial in a Sentence

Adjective a memorial plaque on the bridge for a diver who died in the line of duty Noun the Vietnam War Memorial is a starkly beautiful testimonial to the bravery of the soldiers who served in Vietnam
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Sometimes requests come in for memorial pants: calla lilies and butterflies and names to honor a loved one. Ferron Salniker, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2023 What: Commemorative altars, art installation, memorial roll call, food trucks, beer garden, music and more. Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 13 Sep. 2023 On Monday's anniversary, first lady Jill Biden laid a wreath at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington and second gentleman Doug Emhoff traveled to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, for a memorial observance for Flight 93. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2023 Enter Email Sign Up Some leaders — including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and last year’s G20 host President Joko Widodo of Indonesia — walked to the memorial barefoot in a customary show of respect. Krutika Pathi and Adam Schreck, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023 Davis’ daughter Persia confirmed her father’s death Thursday on both a memorial page and to Madison 365; Davis taught at the University of Wisconsin for over 40 years, but spent the last two years in hospice care. Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2023 Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly will lead a memorial ceremony to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of 9/11 on Monday at 8:30 a.m. at the county’s emergency services facility, 2220 Ady Road in Forest Hill. Jason Fontelieu, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2023 The scale feels unfathomable to this island community of about 160,000 people, as signs of loss are everywhere on the west side, including the missing persons posters hanging in store windows and the memorial crosses lining the only remaining exit from Lahaina. Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023 That makes this new football season — normally a time of hope and optimism — more closely resemble a four-month-long memorial service, with fans slowly filing past the open casket, paying their respects. David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023
Noun
Nothing ceremonial marked the reopening, but a parking lot memorial stood as a reminder of the recent tragedy. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023 The memorials are occurring against the backdrop of suspicion among many in Russia’s elite that the Wagner chief’s death was an assassination ordered by Putin. Mikhail Klimentov, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023 Since then, the city has continued to sever ties to the racist past by removing a Confederate soldier statue atop a memorial in a park bordering City Hall. Bobby Caina Calvan, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2023 Pi remained closed on Wednesday and when Carter arrived, the front entrance was blocked by a makeshift memorial featuring a sea of bouquets, rainbow flags, cards, candles and notes. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2023 Farley shared an Instagram story showing dozens and dozens of people gathered at a memorial for his father. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2023 At these types of memorials, truth is rarely spoken. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2023 Biden in Maui: Conservative pundits used low-quality video to spread a false claim that President Joe Biden fell asleep during a memorial for Maui wildfire victims. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 23 Aug. 2023 Back home, Jenny takes over Kord Industries and comes to visit Jaime at a memorial for his dad. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 20 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'memorial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin memorialis, from memoria memory

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of memorial was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near memorial

Cite this Entry

“Memorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memorial. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

memorial

1 of 2 adjective
me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmōr-ē-əl How to pronounce memorial (audio)
-ˈmȯr-
: serving to preserve the memory of a person or an event
a memorial service
memorially adverb

memorial

2 of 2 noun
: something that keeps alive the memory of a person or event
especially : monument sense 1

More from Merriam-Webster on memorial

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