commemorate

[ kuh-mem-uh-reyt ]

/ kəˈmɛm əˌreɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR commemorate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), com·mem·o·rat·ed, com·mem·o·rat·ing.

to serve as a memorial or reminder of: The monument commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

to honor the memory of by some observance: to commemorate the dead by a moment of silence; to commemorate Bastille Day.

to make honorable mention of.

Nearby words

comme ci, comme ça, comme il faut, commeasurable, commeasure, commedia dell'arte, commemorate, commemoration, commemorative, commemoratory, commence, commencement

Origin of commemorate

1590–1600; < Latin commemorātus (past participle of commemorāre) to recall, put on record, equivalent to com- com- + memor mindful + -ātus -ate¹

Related forms

com·mem·o·ra·ble, adjectivecom·mem·o·ra·tor, nounun·com·mem·o·rat·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for commemorate

At one point, Turness suggested that Gregory have a live band close out the show to commemorate the death of Nelson Mandela.
David Gregory's 'Meet the Press' Eviction Exposed in Washingtonian Takedown|Lloyd Grove|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So, to commemorate her 75th birthday, the two got matching butterfly tattoos on their wrists.
Masters of Alt Sex: SuicideGirls Hits Puberty and Wants to Invade Your TV Set|Marlow Stern|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, the Giglese will commemorate the shipwreck with a prayer service on Jan. 13 every year, and nothing more.
Saying Goodbye to the Salvage Saviors of Giglio|Barbie Latza Nadeau|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nearly 10,000 people, most of them freedmen, gathered in the freshly landscaped burial ground to commemorate the dead.
The Real Memorial Day: Oliver Wendell Holmes's Salute To A Momentous American Anniversary|Malcolm Jones|May 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Now, the date is used to commemorate those who have died in all conflicts.
William and Kate Bid Farewell To Australasia|Tom Sykes|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“All but putting a bronze tablet in the gym, to commemorate the pluck you showed,” added Tom.
A Quarter-Back's Pluck|Lester Chadwick
In precisely the same way the Persian feast of the Magophonia was supposed to commemorate a victory over and massacre of the Magi.
Magic and Religion|Andrew Lang
I will do something to commemorate this anniversary, she thought.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater
Our approaching centennial celebration is to commemorate the Declaration of Independence, which was based on individual rights.
History of Woman Suffrage, Volume III (of III)|Various
The event which we commemorate is all-important, not merely in our own annals, but in those of the world.
The Art of Public Speaking|Dale Carnagey (AKA Dale Carnegie) and J. Berg Esenwein

British Dictionary definitions for commemorate

commemorate

/ (kəˈmɛməˌreɪt) /

verb

(tr) to honour or keep alive the memory of

Derived Forms

commemorative or commemoratory, adjectivecommemoratively, adverbcommemorator, noun

Word Origin for commemorate

C16: from Latin commemorāre be mindful of, from com- (intensive) + memorāre to remind, from memor mindful

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

commemorate

verb (used with object), com·mem·o·rat·ed, com·mem·o·rat·ing.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of commemorate

Related forms

Examples from the Web for commemorate

British Dictionary definitions for commemorate

commemorate

verb

Derived Forms

Word Origin for commemorate