Dictionary.com

commemorate

[ kuh-mem-uh-reyt ]
/ kəˈmɛm əˌreɪt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: commemorate / commemorated / commemorating 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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of commemorate

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

OTHER WORDS FROM commemorate

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. 2023

How to use commemorate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for commemorate

commemorate
/ (kəˈmɛməˌreɪt) /

verb
(tr) to honour or keep alive the memory of

Derived forms of commemorate

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
FEEDBACK