memoir
MEM-wahr
/ˈmɛm.wɑːr/
A historical account or biography written from personal knowledge, focusing on a specific period or theme in the author's life.
Unlike a full biography or autobiography, a memoir narrows focus onto emotional truth and specific lived experiences rather than chronological history.
The story behind the word. From French 'mémoire' (memory) and Latin 'memoria'. In early usage during the 15th century, a memoir was simply an official note or record kept for future reference. By the 17th century, it took on its modern literary sense of written personal reflections.
Word relationships
- autobiography: An autobiography covers an entire life span chronologically, while a memoir focuses on specific themes or periods.
- reminiscence: 'Reminiscence' refers to informal reflection on past events, whereas a memoir is a structured book form.
- fiction: Fiction is constructed from imagination rather than lived personal history.
Commonly confused with
- memory: Memory is the mental capacity to recall past events; a memoir is the written publication of those recollections.
Word family
- memoirist (noun): A writer of memoirs.
Collocations
- write a memoir
- bestselling memoir
- moving memoir
- personal memoir
Example sentences
- "Her memoir about surviving childhood in rural Alaska spent twenty weeks on the bestseller list." Publishing
- "In his war memoir, the veteran reflected deeply on brotherhood and loss." Literature
Memory hook
MEMOIR = MEMORY written in ink. Memoir captures personal memories on paper.
When not to use
Do not use 'memoir' to cover a subject's whole life from birth to old age; that is an autobiography.
Fun facts
- Julius Caesar's 'Commentaries on the Gallic War' was essentially an early political memoir designed to boost his standing in Rome.
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