commemoration
Americannoun
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the act of commemorating.
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a service, celebration, etc., in memory of some person or event.
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a memorial.
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(in many Christian churches) a special service or prayer for commemorating the lesser feast on days on which two feasts of unequal rank are celebrated.
noun
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the act or an instance of commemorating
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a ceremony or service in memory of a person or event
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commemoration
1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin commemorātiōn- (stem of commemorātiō ), equivalent to commemorāt ( us ) ( see commemorate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
A commemoration is a ceremony that honors someone's memory. A commemoration can also honor an event, like a war. A commemoration is a celebration of someone or something, usually in the form of a ceremony. Commemorations are often held on the anniversary of someone's birth or death. For example, there have been many commemorations for Martin Luther King to honor his contributions to the civil rights movement. On the anniversary of 9/11, commemorations are held to honor the dead. This word is all about remembering and respecting.
Vocabulary lists containing commemoration
May Vocabulary Words
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Total Recall: Mem
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An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States
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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.
That moment came courtesy of a guy wearing a Cubs uniform, but Monday grew up in Santa Monica and delivered his spontaneous commemoration of Flag Day in the year of America’s bicentennial.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
Several hundred people, including some in combat uniforms and wearing face coverings, have taken part in a dissident republican Easter commemoration in Londonderry.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
The sacrifice of Jesus and its commemoration in the Mass became a major theological and sometimes military contest between 16th-century Protestants and Roman Catholics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026
At a massive commemoration marking the anniversary of the Eaton fire this week, local religious leaders read the names of the 19 people who died in the blaze.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2026
Under Soviet rule, there was no formal annual commemoration for women veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
