memoir
Americannoun
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a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation.
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Usually memoirs.
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an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography.
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the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.
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a biography or biographical sketch.
noun
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a biography or historical account, esp one based on personal knowledge
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an essay or monograph, as on a specialized topic
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obsolete a memorandum
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of memoir
First recorded in 1560–70; from French mémoire, from Latin memoria; see memory
Explanation
The beginning of a short memoir of your life might read like this: I was born on a dark and stormy night. My days remained blustery — school was difficult for me, and my parents argued all of the time. My luck changed when... A memoir is a person's own account of his or her life. Memoirs allow for a bit more literary freedom than autobiographies as they involve introspection and a creative view of your past. As you go through life or a phase in life, you can write things down in your memoirs so that at a later time, you can publish a memoir about it.
Vocabulary lists containing memoir
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Literary Genres - Introductory
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25 Words from "Baseball and Black History"
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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.
Pelicot appeared at the Hay Festival to discuss her memoir, A Hymn to Life, and was interviewed on stage by Baroness Helena Kennedy.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
Elaborately framed as the translation of a rediscovered travel memoir, complete with fictional footnotes, many readers thought it was about a genuine historic text when the book was first published in 2020.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
I eventually returned to pride — after coming to terms with our relationship, and after telling that story in my 2022 memoir, “My Life in the Sunshine.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Publishers are adjusting their advance payments for some nonfiction titles, though certain self-help, memoir and specific political titles remain strong sellers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
“And for an example, I’ll share my six-word memoir first: poetry is my heart and mind. There, see how easy it is?”
From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
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.
