commemorate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to serve as a memorial or reminder of.
The monument commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
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to honor the memory of by some observance.
to commemorate the dead by a moment of silence; to commemorate Bastille Day.
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to make honorable mention of.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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uncommemoratedadjective
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commemorativelyadverb
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commemoratornoun
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commemorableadjective
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commemorativeadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have commemoratedperfect
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has commemoratedperfect 3rd person singular
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are commemoratingprogressive
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am commemoratingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been commemoratingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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commemoratingparticiple
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have been commemoratingperfect progressive
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commemoratessingular 3rd person
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is commemoratingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had commemoratedperfect
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were commemoratingprogressive plural
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was commemoratingprogressive singular
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had been commemoratingperfect progressive
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commemoratedsimple
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commemoratedparticiple
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing commemorate
Memorial Day Words
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 5
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Academy Awards, List 2
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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.
On Saturday morning, a news conference was held outside of Ambiance Apparel to commemorate the anniversary.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
This year we commemorate a war that might be remembered only by historians had Washington not won it.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
“President Trump is accordingly hosting Kevin Warsh’s swearing-in at the White House to appropriately commemorate this historic development for the markets, businesses, and everyday Americans.”
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
During the week-long reading event, which is timed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of US independence, other prominent conservatives and members of the administration, including Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are sharing passages.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
“Some of the money was changed to commemorate the anniversary. Are you convinced?”
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
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.
