commemoration
Americannoun
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the act of commemorating.
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a service, celebration, etc., in memory of some person or event.
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a memorial.
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(in many Christian churches) a special service or prayer for commemorating the lesser feast on days on which two feasts of unequal rank are celebrated.
noun
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the act or an instance of commemorating
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a ceremony or service in memory of a person or event
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commemoration
1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin commemorātiōn- (stem of commemorātiō ), equivalent to commemorāt ( us ) ( see commemorate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A commemoration is a ceremony that honors someone's memory. A commemoration can also honor an event, like a war. A commemoration is a celebration of someone or something, usually in the form of a ceremony. Commemorations are often held on the anniversary of someone's birth or death. For example, there have been many commemorations for Martin Luther King to honor his contributions to the civil rights movement. On the anniversary of 9/11, commemorations are held to honor the dead. This word is all about remembering and respecting.
Vocabulary lists containing commemoration
May Vocabulary Words
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Total Recall: Mem
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An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prof Andy Schofield, the principal and vice chancellor at the university, said Commemoration Day would allow the university to "reflect on our remarkable history".
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
We wanted only to be suffused with his powers of Commemoration.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025
Proposed by Germany and Rwanda, it would designate 11 July as the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.”
From Seattle Times • May 15, 2024
The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration will host “Welcome Home! A Nation Honors our Vietnam Veterans and their Families,” an event on the National Mall in the nation’s capital which continues through Saturday.
From Washington Times • May 10, 2023
In the "Commemoration Ode"—the greatest poem which Lowell has ever written—he celebrates the death of these young heroes in fitting verse, and gives their names to immortality.
From Home Life of Great Authors by Griswold, Hattie Tyng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
