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:
All the effort was worth it—her daughter, a baker in her 30s, was thrilled with her souvenir, still slightly frozen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
In 1764, an English sailor named Samuel Bowen arrived in Savannah, Georgia, with a handful of soybeans, a souvenir from several years spent in China.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Not far from the cafe where Osborn met with voters, Calvin Pemberton owns a Trump souvenir shop next to his car detailing business, where he sells flags, t-shirts and hats with the Republican president's likeness.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
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
Weird to think she still had that key in her pants pocket—like a souvenir of another life.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
T-shirts and souvenirs bearing his features are on sale in a nearby shop, and several businesses have erected large banners to welcome him to Chiclayo.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Foodies have long tucked culinary souvenirs into their suitcases to savor a taste of their trip long after they’re home, but the 2024 Paris Olympics and social media have supercharged the trend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
When Sam Corbett, 23, was in Japan in May he bought so many souvenirs - including snacks, matcha, clothes and skincare - that he had to buy an extra suitcase, which he stuffed full.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 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
The thing about those souvenirs, though: the glitter falls fast.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
