souvenir

American  

[soo-vuh-neer, soo-vuh-neer] / ˌsu vəˈnɪər, ˈsu vəˌnɪər /

noun

1. a usually small and relatively inexpensive article given, kept, or purchased as a reminder of a place visited, an occasion, etc.; memento.

   Synonyms:

   token, keepsake, reminder

2. a memory.

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souvenir British  

/ ˌsuːvəˈnɪə, ˈsuːvəˌnɪə /

noun

1. an object that recalls a certain place, occasion, or person; memento

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verb

1. euphemistic to steal or keep (something, esp a small article) for one's own use; purloin

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.

Example Sentences

Schulz, who was carrying his own gnome and his friend’s, only learned that people were utterly obsessed with them after buying his bearded souvenir.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Disney began selling simple souvenir popcorn pails in the 1990s and in 2010 introduced a 3D container modeled after Micky Mouse.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

Most domestic travelers won’t cancel trips due to a jump in gas prices, Elrod said, but they might borrow from their souvenir budget to cover additional fuel costs.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026

Standing on a lively street in El Tunco, lined with bars, restaurants and souvenir shops selling T-shirts -- some printed with Bukele's face -- Lopez was philosophical about rights abuses in El Salvador.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

They come back to me, die scattered days of that summer with the Object, each encased in a souvenir snow globe.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• gift
• memento
• relic
• trophy