memento mori

American  

[muh-men-toh mawr-ahy, mohr-ahy, mawr-ee, mohr-ee, me-men-toh moh-ree] / məˈmɛn toʊ ˈmɔr aɪ, ˈmoʊr aɪ, ˈmɔr i, ˈmoʊr i, mɛˈmɛn toʊ ˈmoʊ ri /

noun

plural

memento mori

1. (italics) remember that you must die.

2. an object, as a skull, serving as a reminder of death or mortality.

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memento mori British  

/ ˈmɔːriː /

noun

1. an object, such as a skull, intended to remind people of the inevitability of death

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Usage

What does memento mori mean? Memento mori is a Latin phrase that translates to "remember you must die."A memento mori is something, historically a skull, that serves as a reminder of death and mortality.

Etymology

Origin of memento mori

First recorded in 1585–95, memento mori is from Latin mementō morī

Example Sentences

His so-called “bone temple” is an actualization of his life philosophy, memento mori, which translates from Latin as “Remember you must die.”

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

Not even “Orange Grove Estates” as a memento mori.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2024

The death trip is a memento mori, that old medieval art tradition, which reminds us that we all die.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2023

Between this, “Titanic” turning 25 and wide-legged jeans coming back in style, culture is a memento mori minefield for children of the ’90s lately.

From Washington Post • Mar. 1, 2023

My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning skull at my side to remind me of the folly of human ambi­tion.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Related Words

• warning