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commemorate

American  

[kuh-mem-uh-rayt] / kəˈmɛm əˌreɪt /

verb (used with object)

• commemorates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• commemorated,
  past participle,  past
• commemorating
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• commemorating
  present
• commemorated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• commemorate
  simple
• commemorates
  simple
• have commemorated
  perfect
• has commemorated
  perfect
• am commemorating
  progressive
• are commemorating
  progressive
• is commemorating
  progressive
• have been commemorating
  perfect progressive
• has been commemorating
  perfect progressive

Past

• commemorated
  simple
• had commemorated
  perfect
• was commemorating
  progressive
• were commemorating
  progressive
• had been commemorating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will commemorate
  simple
• will have commemorated
  perfect
• will be commemorating
  progressive
• will have been commemorating
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

commemorate commemorates commemorated commemorating

At the time, the surfer community in Ensenada turned out in force to commemorate the men by paddling out at one of the area's best known surfing spots and throwing flowers into the sea.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Mr. Stallone spoke at the 2006 ceremony on the museum steps to commemorate the statue’s return.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Some commentaries noted it was less about substance than ceremony and symbolism, but what did it commemorate or symbolize?

From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2026

The announcement was made to commemorate “Give Like Dolly Day,” established by the Dollywood Foundation and also observed on Friday in Parton’s honor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Americans did not commemorate the fullest moon of the year, but the Wongs had done so for centuries.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

They also laid flowers and left candles on the star in the heart of Hollywood that commemorates her decades-long career.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Juneteenth — a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — is being marked on Friday, and there are many closures related to the holiday, including financial markets.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026

It commemorates the day—June 19, 1865—when news of emancipation reached people in the deepest parts of the former Confederacy in Galveston, Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

It is definitely commendable that the Dodgers “museum” commemorates Glenn Burke and Billy Bean.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026

It’s a fine poem but a deceitful one: We do indeed remember Shakespeare’s powerful rhyme, but what do we remember about the person it commemorates?

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

Old friend Rafael Nadal is already commemorated with a statue outside Roland-Garros.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Hong Kong, once a refuge for those fleeing China post 1989, commemorated the killings every year with a vigil.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Several batters later, however, Yan commemorated his second major league strikeout similarly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

"What happened at Trent Park was obviously very important and it's good it's being commemorated," said Adam Ganz, author of a radio play broadcast by the BBC called "Listening to the Generals".

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Her spirit was commemorated at the ceremony by an empty chair, which her classmates had decorated with sunflowers and purple fabric.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Several events commemorating the attack were held across Germany.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

"Anyone who banishes Stolpersteine and memorial sites commemorating Jewish life from public spaces to the cemetery is prioritising death over life and rendering Jewish people invisible once again," she told Bild.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

From the first anniversary, commemorating the attacks has carried a careful choreography.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

“So many of these murals are commemorating people and events that are culturally important to those specific areas,” he added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

The cabinet also contains an ancient cracked plate commemorating the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, and a plastic cup bearing the nose and ears of a mouse.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• celebrate
• memorialize
• observe
• remember
• salute