memorial

1 of 2

adjective

me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce memorial (audio)
Synonyms of memorialnext
1
: serving to preserve remembrance : commemorative
a memorial plaque
2
: of or relating to memory
memorially
mə-ˈmȯr-ē-ə-lē How to pronounce memorial (audio)
adverb

memorial

2 of 2

noun

1
: something that keeps remembrance alive: such as
a
: monument
a war memorial
b
: something (such as a speech or ceremony) that commemorates
c
: keepsake, memento
2
a
: record, memoir
… language and literature … the memorials of another age.—J. H. Fisher
b
: memorandum, note
specifically : a legal abstract
c
: a statement of facts addressed to a government and often accompanied by a petition or remonstrance

Synonyms of memorial

Relevance

Adjective

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of memorial in a Sentence

Adjective a memorial plaque on the bridge for a diver who died in the line of duty Noun the Vietnam War Memorial is a starkly beautiful testimonial to the bravery of the soldiers who served in Vietnam
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.
Adjective
Signs quickly piled up at his roadside memorial blaming Bustillos for the chain of events and telling other drivers to slow down. — Jacob Sisneros, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 Flowers, handwritten remembrances and other tributes have been piling up at de facto Dolly Parton memorial sites around the Nashville area. — The Npr Network, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
In Ocean Springs, where Nolan lived and first made a name for himself, the focus remained on the high school’s football game unfolding in front of them – no moment of silence, visible memorials, signs, ribbons or public tributes. — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 The president last attended the 9/11 memorial at the World Trade Center site in 2024, when President Joe Biden was also in attendance months before the 2024 presidential election. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for memorial

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin memorialis, from memoria memory

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of memorial was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing memorial

Rhymes for memorial

See All Rhymes for memorial

Browse Nearby Words

memorative
memorial
memorial arch
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Memorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memorial. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

memorial

1 of 2 adjective
me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmōr-ē-əl How to pronounce memorial (audio)
-ˈmȯr-
: serving to preserve the memory of a person or an event
a memorial service
memorially
-ē-ə-lē How to pronounce memorial (audio)
adverb

memorial

2 of 2 noun
: something that keeps alive the memory of a person or event
especially : monument sense 1
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All