commemorate
verb (used with object)
to serve as a memorial or reminder of.
was commemorating
-
past progressiveof commemorate.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The launch took place on the day Japan was commemorating the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Several bands accompanied the parade, which was commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2025
The group was commemorating the one-year anniversary of the death of Malin’s best friend and former D Generation bandmate Howie Pyro.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2023
The event was commemorating a genocide far greater than the Northern Ireland conflict, but the memorial offered a powerful and relevant warning, Hughes said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 3, 2023
The object of this meeting has been disputed, some authorities saying that it was convoked to celebrate the Beltinne, or fire of Bal or Baal; others, that the king was commemorating his own birthday.
From An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800 by Mary Frances Cusack
