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commemorate

kuh-MEM-uh-rayt /kəˈmɛməreɪt/

verbB2TOEFLIELTSSAT

standardformal

To honor the memory of a person or event with a ceremony, monument, or special tribute.

Focuses on preserving memory through deliberate acts, structures, or annual observances.

The story behind the word. From Latin 'commemorare', combining 'com-' (together) and 'memorare' (to bring to mind, from 'memor' - mindful). To commemorate is to bring something to mind together as a community.

Word relationships

honor: Honor is broader and can apply to living people without any historical monument.
memorialize: Memorialize specifically emphasizes creating a permanent record or monument.

forget: To fail to remember or preserve memory.
ignore: To deliberately pay no attention to.

Commonly confused with

celebrate: Celebrate usually carries joyful tones; commemorate can be festive or somber depending on the event.

Word family

commemoration (noun): A ceremony or action in memory of a person or event.
commemorative (adjective): Serving as a memorial or tribute.

Collocations

commemorate the memory of
commemorate an anniversary
plaque to commemorate
ceremony to commemorate

Example sentences

"A stone monument was erected in the square to commemorate those who died in the war." Public memorial
"Every November, the school holds an assembly to commemorate the founders of the institution." Annual ceremony

Memory hook

COM (together) + MEMORY. Keeping a memory alive together. Bringing the past alive in shared memory.

When not to use

Do not use for everyday spontaneous remembering; it implies a structured or formal tribute.

Fun facts

Commemorative coins are among the oldest physical forms of historical preservation, dating back to Ancient Rome.