souvenir

noun

sou·​ve·​nir ˈsü-və-ˌnir 

ˌsü-və-ˈnir

: something kept as a reminder (as of a place one has visited)

a souvenir of her travels

a souvenir shop

Synonyms

• reminder
• memorial

Examples of souvenir in a Sentence

When I went to the Super Bowl, I kept my ticket stub as a souvenir.

kept their love letters as souvenirs of their courtship

Recent Examples on the Web

Home to local boutiques, specialty shops, and artisan galleries, this is the perfect place to find a souvenir to take home—and much more. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2025

The poem was a souvenir of the fleeting moment of its composition, its irregular right margin suggesting words jotted on scrap paper. —Dan Chiasson, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025

As many travelers return from trips with souvenirs of their adventures, some also bring back an unwelcome case of jetlag. —Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2025

The two had been talking about hitting one into the cove, and after Mauricio’s ball became a souvenir for a kayaker, Soto hoped to match that effort. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, act of remembering, from Middle French, from (se) souvenir to remember, from Latin subvenire to come up, come to mind — more at subvention

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing souvenir

• souvenir sheet
• souvenir shop

Rhymes for souvenir

• auctioneer
• bandelier
• belvedere
• bombardier
• brigadier
• buccaneer
• cavalier
• chandelier
• chanticleer
• chevalier
• commandeer
• disappear

Kids Definition

souvenir

noun

sou·​ve·​nir ˈsü-və-ˌni(ə)r 

ˌsü-və-ˈni(ə)r

: something that serves as a reminder : memento