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
Murky on his history, Doka, who's 12, now associates the dam’s defeat with the annual carnival the tribe holds to commemorate it.
—
Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2024
Over a month before her graduation, Olivia posted two other photos commemorating her time at LSU.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Why is a 'Chrismukkah' like this so rare? Christmas, which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on the same day each year.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
Each summer camp session included the naming of the top cabin and an honor camper in each, a feat commemorated on wooden plaques.
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near commemorate
Cite this Entry
“Commemorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
Kids 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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