memorial

1 of 2

adjective

me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmȯr-ē-əl 

1

: serving to preserve remembrance : commemorative

2

: of or relating to memory

memorially

mə-ˈmȯr-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

memorial

2 of 2

noun

1

: something that keeps remembrance alive: such as

a

: monument

b

: something (such as a speech or ceremony) that commemorates

c

: keepsake, memento

2

a

: record, memoir

language and literature … the memorials of another age

—J. 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

Synonyms

Adjective

• commemorating
• commemorative
• honorary
• memorializing

Noun

• commemorative
• keepsake
• memento
• monument
• remembrance
• reminder
• souvenir
• token

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

The Aerodrome canceled its upcoming ghost tours and air show on Saturday, Oct. 12, to attend Coughlin's memorial service. —Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 8 Oct. 2024

During a memorial service in kibbutz Nir Oz, the smoke trail of the rockets fired from Gaza was clearly visible in the sky. —Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024

Noun

Up the hill, along the walls of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, there is a slightly older memorial with photos of Ukrainian soldiers who died in the separatist conflict in the Donbas, which began in 2014. —Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2024

Murder for hire: Inside Iran’s proxy war with Israel in the West Israel holds memorials for anniversary of Oct. 7 attack Israelis gathered for solemn memorials of the anniversary of the October attack on Monday. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 8 Oct. 2024

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

Phrases Containing memorial

• memorial park

Kids Definition

memorial

1 of 2 adjective

me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmōr-ē-əl 

-ˈmȯr-

: serving to preserve the memory of a person or an event

a memorial service

memorially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

memorial

2 of 2 noun

: something that keeps alive the memory of a person or event

especially : monument sense 1