in memoriam

preposition

in me·​mo·​ri·​am ˌin-mə-ˈmȯr-ē-əm How to pronounce in memoriam (audio)
: in memory of
used especially in epitaphs

Did you know?

Since the days of the Roman empire, the words In memoriam, followed by a name, have been found on monuments and gravestones. They may also appear in the dedication of a book or poem; Alfred Tennyson's greatest poem is his immense In Memoriam, written over a period of 17 years to mourn the death of his dear friend Arthur Hallam.

Examples of in memoriam in a Sentence

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.
Kevin Winter / Getty Images 4d ago / 6:53 PM PST Share Morgan Freeman honors the late Gene Hackman Jennifer Jett The in memoriam segment began with a tribute by Morgan Freeman to Gene Hackman, 95, who was found dead along with his wife at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last week. Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 3 Mar. 2025 Costar reunions, superstar celebrity couples, jaw-dropping fashion, exciting performances (including a Wicked musical moment), a heartfelt in memoriam tribute and can't-miss acceptance speeches. Lindsay Kimble, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025 The Oscars' in memoriam tribute, a segment honoring notable names in the film community who died over the last year, had several notable omissions Sunday night. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025 Gene Hackman honored during Oscars' in memoriam Gene Hackman, the Oscar-winning actor who was found dead alongside wife Betsy Arakawa on Wednesday, was honored with his own segment headed up by co-star Morgan Freeman. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for in memoriam

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in memoriam was in 1850

Cite this Entry

“In memoriam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20memoriam. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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