memorial
Americannoun
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something designed to preserve the memory of a person, event, etc., as a monument or a holiday.
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a written statement of facts presented to a sovereign, a legislative body, etc., as the ground of, or expressed in the form of, a petition or remonstrance.
adjective
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serving to preserve the memory of the dead or a past event
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of or involving memory
noun
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something serving as a remembrance
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a written statement of facts submitted to a government, authority, etc, in conjunction with a petition
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an informal diplomatic paper
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of memorial
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin memoriāle, noun use of neuter of Latin memoriālis for or containing memoranda. See memory, -al 1
Explanation
Just as the Lincoln Memorial pays tribute to Abraham Lincoln, a memorial is anything that symbolizes or celebrates someone who died. Every gravestone in a cemetery is actually a small memorial. A memorial is a service or statue dedicated to someone who died. A memorial service celebrates the life of the deceased. Something written about the dead person can also be called a memorial, and you could say donating to a dead friend's favorite cause is a memorial to them. If it honors the dead, the word memorial probably fits.
Vocabulary lists containing memorial
Memorial Day Words
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Memorial Day: Words of Respect and Remembrance
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May Vocabulary Words
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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.
"Their story is that important to us and this memorial, it means so much."
From BBC • May 29, 2026
Karen had made a memorial post about a school friend on Facebook.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
In the town square, people chat amiably in the shadow of a memorial to slain cowboy-hat-wearing mayor Carlos Manzo.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Many projects, like the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial and African American history museum, began as the deferred dreams of ordinary citizens.
From Slate • May 18, 2026
Today, no trace of the Norkus memorial remains.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
