commemorate
playDefinition
1 : to call to remembrance
2 : to mark by some ceremony or observation : observe
3 : to serve as a memorial of
Did You Know?
When you remember something, you are mindful of it. It's appropriate, therefore, that commemorate and other related memory-associated words (including memorable, memorial, remember, and memory itself) come from the Latin root memor, meaning "mindful." Some distant older relatives are Old English gemimor ("well-known"), Greek mermēra ("care"), and Sanskrit smarati ("he remembers"). English speakers have been marking the memory of important events with commemorate since the late 16th century.
Examples
A plaque commemorates the battle that took place on this spot 200 years ago.
"The conference will feature presentations by educators and World War II history experts, along with discussions with veterans of the war. It will culminate with a remembrance ceremony at the World War II Memorial, where participants will commemorate veterans of that war." — Abigail Austin, The Morning Sentinel (Waterville, Maine), 15 Apr. 2019
Test Your Vocabulary with M-W Quizzes
Name That Synonym
Fill in the blanks to complete a synonym of commemorate meaning "to observe": s _ l _ _ n _ _ e.
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