memoir

noun

mem·​oir ˈmem-ˌwär How to pronounce memoir (audio)
-ˌwȯr
1
: an official note or report : memorandum
2
a
: a narrative composed from personal experience
every memoir reminds us of the faraway and long ago, of loss and change, of persons and places beyond recallAbigail McCarthy
b
: autobiography
usually used in plural
His memoirs recall his student days at Harvard.
c
: biography
his memoir of his longtime friend
3
a
: an account of something noteworthy : report
the work described and discussed in this memoir represent a first-class investigationJ. A. Steers
b
memoirs plural : the record of the proceedings of a learned society
memoirist noun

Examples of memoir in a Sentence

a retired politician who is writing his memoirs He has written a memoir of his mother. a memoir of Hollywood in the 1930s
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.
As music memoirs go, Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ Cat on the Road to Findout couldn’t have been more aptly titled. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025 The actress is also working on a memoir. Avalon Hester, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025 Marchetti's memoir demonstrates that the geeky kid from Ravenna and the global fashion icon are complementary facets of a life lived at the intersection of beauty and technology. Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 Putnam liked that idea, and a wealthy benefactor, steel heiress Amy Phipps Guest, provided financial support for the feat—really more of a publicity stunt, since Putnam's plan, as always, was to publish a scintillating memoir of the journey. ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for memoir

Word History

Etymology

Middle French memoire, from memoire memory, from Latin memoria

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of memoir was in 1571

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Memoir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memoir. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

memoir

noun
mem·​oir ˈmem-ˌwär How to pronounce memoir (audio)
-ˌwȯ(ə)r
1
a
: a story of a personal experience
b
: autobiography
usually used in plural
c
2

More from Merriam-Webster on memoir

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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