commemorate

American  

[kuh-mem-uh-reyt] / kəˈmɛm əˌreɪt /

verb (used with object)

commemorated, commemorating

1. to serve as a memorial or reminder of.

   The monument commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

2. to honor the memory of by some observance.

   to commemorate the dead by a moment of silence; to commemorate Bastille Day.

3. to make honorable mention of.

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commemorate British  

/ kəˈmɛməˌreɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to honour or keep alive the memory of

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Other Word Forms

• commemorable adjective
• commemorative adjective
• commemoratively adverb
• commemorator noun
• uncommemorated adjective

Etymology

Origin of commemorate

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin commemorātus “recalled,” past participle of commemorāre “to recall, put on record,” from com- com- + memor “mindful” + -āre, infinitive verb suffix

Explanation

To commemorate something means to remember something and by doing so to honor it, as in “We would like to commemorate his many years of past service by presenting him with this lovely gold watch.” The word commemorate has a pretty clear echo of memory in it, so it can help to keep it in your mind just by noticing that. You might also notice that you’ve seen the word before, either in late-night infomercials or in various advertisements in magazines, when they talk about commemorative plates, or stamps, or coins: little things that are supposed to honor events or people by recalling them to our collective memory.

Example Sentences

The gold coin was never in general circulation, with fewer than 300 produced in 1839 to commemorate the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

“It’s a way to commemorate ... the movies we love, and showcase them, obviously for ourselves, but also for people that come over or people that view our videos,” Nicole Fontanez said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

“You’re already on the bridge, you’re already part of the art—why would you tie trash to commemorate it?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Pratt, a Republican, first revealed his mayoral ambitions during an event called “They Let Us Burn!” that was held in L.A. in early January to commemorate the first anniversary of the wildfires.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

Or the guy who says it's a crime to waste forests of paper to commemorate something that "never happened."

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• celebrate
• memorialize
• observe
• remember
• salute