memorial

[muh-mawr-ee-uhl, -mohr-]

noun

1. something designed to preserve the memory of a person, event, etc., as a monument or a holiday.

2. 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

1. preserving the memory of a person or thing; commemorative.

   memorial services.

2. of or relating to the memory.

memorial

/ mɪˈmɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. serving to preserve the memory of the dead or a past event

2. of or involving memory

noun

1. something serving as a remembrance

2. a written statement of facts submitted to a government, authority, etc, in conjunction with a petition

3. an informal diplomatic paper

Other Word Forms

• memorially adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of memorial¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin memoriāle, noun use of neuter of Latin memoriālis for or containing memoranda. See memory, -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of memorial¹

C14: from Late Latin memoriāle a reminder, neuter of memoriālis belonging to remembrance

Example Sentences

During the trip, they received a briefing from Israel's foreign ministry; visited a Holocaust memorial; met victims of Hamas and toured Ofek School in Jerusalem.

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However, his insistence on attending the memorial service for victims on the first anniversary of the tragedy last week angered relatives of those who died and a number of them barracked him during the ceremony.

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Ms Kerr, who said "not a day passes" that she does not think and pray for her brother, expressed her faith in the experts during Sunday's memorial event.

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Last week, relatives of the victims shouted "murderer", "coward" and "get out" at Mazon as he arrived for a state memorial service for the victims in the Mediterranean city of Valencia.

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Sheriff’s detectives and FBI agents served a search warrant at the Buzzard home where a makeshift memorial on the sidewalk includes a picture of the curly haired girl.

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Related Words

• ceremony 
• headstone 
• mausoleum 
• plaque 
• remembrance 
• statue 
• tombstone