commemorate
kuh-MEM-uh-reyt
/kəˈmɛməreɪt/
To recall and show respect for (someone or something) in a ceremony.
Focuses on memory and honoring the past, often with a sense of solemnity.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'commemoratus,' meaning to bring to mind. It literally means for a group of people to remember something together.
Word relationships
- honor: Honor is broader; commemorate specifically involves an act of remembering.
- forget: The direct opposite of keeping a memory alive.
Commonly confused with
- celebrate: Commemorate is often somber/respectful; celebrate is usually happy.
Word family
- commemoration (noun): the act of commemorating
- commemorative (adjective): intended to commemorate
Collocations
- commemorate an anniversary
- commemorate the dead
- plaque to commemorate
Example sentences
- "The city will commemorate the anniversary of the historic peace treaty with a silent vigil." News
Memory hook
Co- (together) + Memory = Remembering together. Memory in a ceremony.
When not to use
Don't use for trivial things; you don't 'commemorate' buying a new pair of shoes.
Fun facts
- Many countries issue commemorative coins to mark significant historical events.
Related words
Also appears in
- Time & History → Memory & Forgetting
- Time & History → Commemoration & Remembrances
- Occasions, Holidays & Parties → Birthdays & Aging
- Romance, Dating & Marriage → Honeymoons & Anniversaries
- Occasions, Holidays & Parties → Funerals, Wakes & Memorials
- Occasions, Holidays & Parties → Retirement Celebrations
- Occasions, Holidays & Parties → National Independence Days
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