commemorate
verb
com·mem·o·rate
kə-ˈme-mə-ˌrāt 
commemorated; commemorating
1
: to call to remembrance
St. Andrew is commemorated on November 30.
2
: to mark by some ceremony or observation : observe
commemorate an anniversary
3
: to serve as a memorial of
a plaque that commemorates the battle
Did you know?
When you remember something, you are mindful of it. It's appropriate, therefore, that commemorate and other related memory-associated words (including memorable, memorial, remember, and memory itself) come from the Latin root memor, meaning "mindful." English speakers have been marking the memory of important events with commemorate since the late 16th century.
Examples of commemorate in a Sentence
The festival commemorates the town's founding.
The plaque commemorates the battle that took place here 200 years ago.
Each year on this date we commemorate our ancestors with a special ceremony.
Recent Examples on the Web
The appeal of all things Whalers is going be commemorated at the 50th year anniversary celebration this weekend.
—
Bill Field, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2025
While several presidents have been honored with a day of mourning in the subsequent years, others have been commemorated as well.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
The marble structure commemorates the spot where hundreds of thousands of Jews were assembled before being deported to concentration camps in 1942 and 1943.
—Ben Sales, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025
Of course, the playoffs are a zero-sum game, and only one person will be commemorated Most Valuable Player.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for commemorate 
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Bill Field, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2025
While several presidents have been honored with a day of mourning in the subsequent years, others have been commemorated as well.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
The marble structure commemorates the spot where hundreds of thousands of Jews were assembled before being deported to concentration camps in 1942 and 1943.
—Ben Sales, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025
Of course, the playoffs are a zero-sum game, and only one person will be commemorated Most Valuable Player.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for commemorate
Dictionary Entries Near commemorate
Cite this Entry
“Commemorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
commemorate
verb
com·mem·o·rate
kə-ˈmem-ə-ˌrāt
commemorated; commemorating
1
: to call to remembrance
2
: to mark by a ceremony
3
: to be a memorial of
a plaque that commemorates the event
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