souvenir

noun

sou·​ve·​nir ˈsü-və-ˌnir 

ˌsü-və-ˈnir

: something kept as a reminder (as of a place one has visited)

a souvenir of her travels

a souvenir shop

Synonyms

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

Examples of souvenir in a Sentence

When I went to the Super Bowl, I kept my ticket stub as a souvenir.

kept their love letters as souvenirs of their courtship

Recent Examples on the Web

Looking for some spooky souvenirs to bring back home? —Samantha Neely, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025

On your drive, stop in the iconic Rain Barrell Village to buy kitschy souvenirs or handcrafted pieces from local artisans. —Lisa A. Beach, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2025

Investigators found the young boy's body surrounded by Disneyland souvenirs, per the DA's office. —Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025

While Abreu was undoubtedly the star of the game, Campbell earned the souvenir scorecard from Cora after the game to commemorate his big-league debut. —Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, act of remembering, from Middle French, from (se) souvenir to remember, from Latin subvenire to come up, come to mind — more at subvention

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing souvenir

• souvenir sheet
• souvenir shop

Rhymes for souvenir

• auctioneer
• bandelier
• belvedere
• bombardier
• brigadier
• buccaneer
• cavalier
• chandelier
• chanticleer
• chevalier
• commandeer
• disappear

Kids Definition

souvenir

noun

sou·​ve·​nir ˈsü-və-ˌni(ə)r 

ˌsü-və-ˈni(ə)r

: something that serves as a reminder : memento