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 holiday commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt, including their 40-year journey through the desert.
—
Marc Levy, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
To commemorate the event, a new logo was developed by Acura and the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
Many Muslims commemorate the Israelites’ liberation by fasting on the Day of Ashura, while Christians reflect upon Passover during Holy Week —from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday — as liberation from spiritual bondage.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
Weezer also embarked on their Blue Tour to commemorate the album milestone, which included support from The Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr.
—John Lonsdale, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commemorate
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Marc Levy, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
To commemorate the event, a new logo was developed by Acura and the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach.
—Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
Many Muslims commemorate the Israelites’ liberation by fasting on the Day of Ashura, while Christians reflect upon Passover during Holy Week —from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday — as liberation from spiritual bondage.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
Weezer also embarked on their Blue Tour to commemorate the album milestone, which included support from The Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr.
—John Lonsdale, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 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 19 Apr. 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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