memento

noun

me·men·to mə-ˈmen-(ˌ)tō

nonstandard

mō-

plural mementos or mementoes

Synonyms of memento next

: something that serves to warn or remind

a museum filled with war mementos—

Libby Lubin

also : souvenir

mementos of their travels

Did you know?

In Latin, memento is the imperative form (meaning it is used as a command) of meminisse, a verb that means “to remember.” (The term memento mori, which refers to a reminder of mortality, translates literally as “remember that you must die,” for example). The history of memento makes it clear where its spelling came from, but because a memento often helps one remember a particular moment, people occasionally spell the term momento. This is typically considered a misspelling, but it appears often enough in edited prose (including the work of such esteemed authors as George Eliot and Dylan Thomas) to have been entered in most dictionaries as an acceptable variant spelling.

Examples of memento in a Sentence

a collection of photographs and mementos It was a memento of our trip.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Store books, candles, lamps, mementos, and more on the unit. —

Kelsey Fredricks, People.com, 2 Feb. 2025 The 20-inch suitcase is great for storing clothes, mementoes, shoes, and other belongings thanks to its convenient cross straps to help hold items in place, while the 14-inch suitcase is ideal for holding toiletries, cosmetics, and other compact items. —

Kelsey Fredricks, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2025 Clearly, Barkley doesn’t need the memento or accolades. —

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025 Inside of the garage was the 1966 Triumph Tiger Cub motorcycle that his grandfather had left him as a memento. —

Gavin Feek, Outside Online, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for memento