commemorate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
verb
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
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.
It also commemorates the millions of people outside the Jewish faith who were murdered through Nazi persecution, and those targeted in more recent genocides.
From BBC
In Vilnius, Zelensky was taking part in a ceremony to commemorate the 1863 uprising in Poland and Lithuania against Tsarist Russia.
From Barron's
Yellow roses commemorating those who have lost their lives to traffic violence blanketed the bottom steps.
From Los Angeles Times
Also, for most countries, these parades commemorate military victories.
From BBC
In the year commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is supremely ironic that 2026 could also mark a similar declaration by America’s historically staunchest allies.
From Barron's
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.
