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

Example Sentences

Laura Turner Igoe, a curator at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Pennsylvania and one of the volume’s contributors, writes that the Gospel-inspired angel “commemorates the bringing of clean water to New York City.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorates the life and legacy of King, who was born on Jan. 15, 1929, and became a leading voice in the fight for racial justice.

From MarketWatch

But he should take the time to actually read the document that this celebration commemorates.

From Los Angeles Times

Has the standard for basic human function been lowered so much that we now publicly commemorate the mundane completion of a job interview?

From The Wall Street Journal

One year after two of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history erupted just hours apart, survivors commemorated the day in Altadena and Pacific Palisades with a mixture of anger and somber remembrance.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• celebrate
• memorialize
• observe
• remember
• salute