noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of souvenir
1765–75; < French, noun use of ( se ) souvenir to remember < Latin subvenīre to come to mind, equivalent to sub- sub- + venīre to come
Explanation
A souvenir is a keepsake or a remembrance. A telltale sign that someone has visited Paris is the tiny, metal Eiffel Tower hanging from her keychain as a souvenir. First recorded in 1775 as meaning “a remembrance or memory,” the noun souvenir stems from the French souvenir “to remember, come to mind.” A few years later, it took on the sense of “a token” of an event or experience. A song by Tears for Fears goes, “Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear.” Here, souvenir refers to a feeling, but more often it refers to something tangible, like a memento, gift, or trophy.
Vocabulary lists containing souvenir
Inside Out & Back Again
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Bronx Masquerade
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Mardi Gras: Fun
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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.
See Examples For:
I ended up leaving with the Hotel Mar-a-Lago shirt, which Bill insisted I take as a souvenir of my visit, refusing my money when I pulled out my wallet.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
A T-shirt or a cap can be yours for $9.99, and a souvenir baseball with the team logo sells for $7.99.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
He shared a photo of his stuffed souvenir on social media with the caption, “It followed me home.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
A last-minute ticket swap with a fellow spectator got him on to Centre Court for a Murray victory in 2015 - and he came away with an incredible souvenir.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
To make sure it was still there, a souvenir from a time when he had all the books he wanted, and all the time to read them.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
In South Korea, investigators say some people brought the seasoning back home as souvenirs from their overseas trips before listing it for resale.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Other L.A. souvenirs included a replica bandshell from the Hollywood Bowl and a tiny pagoda from the Chinese Theatre.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
In 2022 the National Trust agreed it could remain in place following a consultation, but urged visitors not to leave souvenirs.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Li has also reached out to media outlets, sold souvenirs, organised regular tournaments and adapted guanniu's history for stage shows in an effort to boost its profile.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
I slipped inside and in one motion pulled the hanging string switch for the overhead light as I trotted around the sleeping J-3 and over to the chest where the souvenirs were kept.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
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.
