memento
noun
Libby Lubin
Did you know?
Memento comes from the imperative form of meminisse, a Latin verb that literally means "to remember." (The term memento mori, meaning "a reminder of mortality," translates as "remember that you must die.") The history of memento makes it clear where its spelling came from, but because a memento often helps one remember a particular moment, people occasionally spell the term momento. This is usually considered a misspelling, but it appears often enough in edited prose to have been entered in most dictionaries as an acceptable variant spelling.
Synonyms
Examples of memento in a Sentence
Jane Lacroix, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2024
This scarf doubles as a useful staple and a memento of your trip.
—Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Aug. 2024
After the 26th president’s death in 1919, his watch was kept as a memento and eventually given to the park service to be put on display at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site on Long Island.
—Sara Smart, CNN, 29 June 2024
While most athletes keep the mementos of their accomplishments, Josephus told The Washington Post that the physical awards aren’t what motivates them.
—Maddie Garfinkle, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for memento 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'memento.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to memento
Dictionary Entries Near memento
Cite this Entry
“Memento.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memento. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
memento
noun
Share