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memento

American  
[muh-men-toh] / məˈmɛn toʊ /

noun

plural

mementos, mementoes

  1. an object or item that serves to remind one of a person, past event, etc.; keepsake; souvenir.

  2. anything serving as a reminder or warning.

  3. (initial capital letter, italics) either of two prayers in the canon of the Mass, one for persons living and the other for persons dead.

memento British  
/ mɪˈmɛntəʊ /

noun

  1. something that reminds one of past events; souvenir

  2. RC Church either of two prayers occurring during the Mass

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Spelling

Memento is sometimes spelled momento, perhaps by association with moment. The word is actually related to remember. One of its earliest meanings was “something that serves to warn.” The meaning “souvenir” is a recent development: The stone animal carvings are mementos of our trip to Victoria. Momento is considered by many to be a misspelling, but it occurs so frequently in edited writing that some regard it as a variant spelling rather than an error.

Etymology

Origin of memento

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin mementō, imperative of meminisse to remember

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.

After dinner, I pass out little memento goodies such as honey, tea, candy or jams as party favors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

The 26-year-old was a short-format star - the Olympic rings tattooed on the inside of his right bicep are a memento of a bronze-medal winning campaign in Tokyo.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

Week two of “The Great British Bake Off” put the focus on biscuits as the bakers whipped up a dozen Hobnobs and showstopping memento time capsules.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025

The run's organisers said every GNR medal "should be a treasured memento".

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025

With each recorded memento of grief, Will’s mother found hope and Will’s family began to heal.

From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin

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.