as in biographies
a history of a person's life
the former senator has a lucrative contract to write his memoirs, in which he will supposedly set the record straight
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Recent Examples of memoirs
Another appearance in print occurs in 1880, in the memoirs of a Canadian missionary called Sheldon Jackson—also a prominent founder of schools where Native children were forcibly assimilated.
—
Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Tyler alleged in court that because Misley didn't sue until 2022, and his memoirs were published in 1997 and 2011, her IIED claim was barred by the two-year statute of limitations.
—Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Classics jump to mind, such as Educated by Tara Westover, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and With or Without You by Domenica Ruta, but a significant amount of memoirs join that canon.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
This enjoyable, varied story collection’s author has written four memoirs and six poetry collections.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
There has been a fierce legal battle, dueling memoirs, and sharp barbs in the press.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
The memoirs are valued above all for their candor, though Jahangir chose to avoid writing about his earlier rebellion against his father, Akbar.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
O’Brien, 86, is a gleeful raconteur who has worked as a director in the theater since the 1960s, picking up four Tony Awards along the way, including for Hairspray, and has enough anecdotes to fill at least two memoirs.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2026
Along with her extensive acting history, Spelling is also known for her six memoirs, one of which was a New York Times bestseller.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Tyler alleged in court that because Misley didn't sue until 2022, and his memoirs were published in 1997 and 2011, her IIED claim was barred by the two-year statute of limitations.
—Daniela Avila, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Classics jump to mind, such as Educated by Tara Westover, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and With or Without You by Domenica Ruta, but a significant amount of memoirs join that canon.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
This enjoyable, varied story collection’s author has written four memoirs and six poetry collections.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
There has been a fierce legal battle, dueling memoirs, and sharp barbs in the press.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
The memoirs are valued above all for their candor, though Jahangir chose to avoid writing about his earlier rebellion against his father, Akbar.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
O’Brien, 86, is a gleeful raconteur who has worked as a director in the theater since the 1960s, picking up four Tony Awards along the way, including for Hairspray, and has enough anecdotes to fill at least two memoirs.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2026
Along with her extensive acting history, Spelling is also known for her six memoirs, one of which was a New York Times bestseller.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for memoirs
Noun
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Given Ellison’s competitive streak — one of his biographies is titled Everyone Else Must Fail — this has to sting.—
Elizabeth Lopatto,
The Verge,
29 Apr. 2026
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Turns out, the idea for these biographies is part of Schertzer’s own history.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When women came to write spiritual texts—autobiographies, meditations, letters—their own bodies provided an imagery to describe the contours of their belief.—
Chandler Fritz,
The New York Review of Books,
21 Mar. 2026
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Some who had won their freedom, among them Frederick Douglass, wrote powerful autobiographies that were also devastating critiques of slavery.—
Laurent Dubois,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Memoirs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/memoirs. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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