memorial

1 of 2

adjective

me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmȯr-ē-əl 

1

: serving to preserve remembrance : commemorative

2

: of or relating to memory

memorially

mə-ˈmȯr-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

memorial

2 of 2

noun

1

: something that keeps remembrance alive: such as

a

: monument

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

Adjective

• commemorating
• commemorative
• honorary
• memorializing

Noun

• commemorative
• keepsake
• memento
• monument
• remembrance
• reminder
• souvenir
• token

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

Adjective

Plans are forthcoming for a public memorial service hosted locally, Sachs said. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Hundreds of people attended Aaron’s memorial service at St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Southwest Ranches. —Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2025

Noun

Pretty much everything was gone except there was a white obelisk in memorial of the people who had passed there. —Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025

The goal is to get the memorial built in time for Veterans Day 2026, Lewis said. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2025

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

Phrases Containing memorial

• memorial park

Rhymes for memorial

• arboreal
• armorial
• authorial
• factorial
• manorial
• pictorial
• sartorial
• sectorial
• tutorial
• vectorial
• ambassadorial
• combinatorial

Kids Definition

memorial

1 of 2 adjective

me·​mo·​ri·​al mə-ˈmōr-ē-əl 

-ˈmȯr-

: serving to preserve the memory of a person or an event

a memorial service

memorially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

memorial

2 of 2 noun

: something that keeps alive the memory of a person or event

especially : monument sense 1