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

Listen to this article 2 min A New York Yankees fan had the opportunity to go home with an awesome souvenir, but the goodness of his heart got to him. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2025

Tickets were priced at $45 per person and included a business passport checklist, goodie bags, souvenirs and entry into a raffle. —Kaitlin Mikrut, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2025

Think quaint cafes, colorful shops, and uninterrupted views with hardly a high-rise condo or $5 souvenir sign in sight. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 May 2025

These three stanzas are a gift, a souvenir offered by the poet to whomever might have been with her on that ferry ride and, equally, to everyone who wasn’t. —A.o. Scott, New York Times, 2 May 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