commemorate
verb
Did you know?
When you remember something, you are mindful of it. And you are especially mindful when you commemorate something, formalizing your remembrance by doing something special, such as attending a parade or taking part in a ceremony. 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
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025
This year, Tharp is commemorating her company’s founding with a special 60th anniversary tour.
—Maggie McGrath, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
The Memorial Gates commemorate the Treaty of Paris in 1783 and those British and American diplomats who continue to work for peace.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 28 July 2025
The Baseball Hall of Fame will receive one of Kurtz’s bats, a scorecard and photograph to commemorate the occasion.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for commemorate
Cite this Entry
“Commemorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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commemorate
verb
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