A memorial is a structure built in order to remind people of a famous person or event.
Building a memorial to Columbus has been his lifelong dream.
Every village had its war memorial.
Synonyms: monument, cairn, shrine, plaque More Synonyms of memorial
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A memorial event, object, or prize is in honour of someone who has died, so that they will be remembered.
A memorial service is being held for her at St Paul's Church.
...memorial plaques to local regiments.
He went on to win the James E. Sullivan Memorial Trophy as the outstanding amateurathlete of 1962.
Synonyms: commemorative, remembrance, monumental More Synonyms of memorial
3. countable noun [usually singular]
If you say that something will be a memorial to someone who has died, you mean that it will continue to exist and remind people of them.
The museum will serve as a memorial to the millions who passed through Ellis Island. [+ to]
The public park is an impressive memorial to a good man.
Synonyms: remembrance, tribute, record, souvenir More Synonyms of memorial
More Synonyms of memorial
memorial in British English
(mɪˈmɔːrɪəl)
adjective
1.
serving to preserve the memory of the dead or a past event
2.
of or involving memory
noun
3.
something serving as a remembrance
4.
a written statement of facts submitted to a government, authority, etc, in conjunction with a petition
5.
an informal diplomatic paper
Derived forms
memorially (meˈmorially)
adverb
Word origin
C14: from Late Latin memoriāle a reminder, neuter of memoriālis belonging to remembrance
memorial in American English
(məˈmɔriəl)
adjective
1.
serving to help people remember some person or event; commemorative
2.
of memory
noun
3.
anything made or done in memory of some person or event, as a monument, trust fund, holiday, charitable donation, etc.
4.
an informal diplomatic paper
5.
a statement of facts, often with a petition that something be done, sent to a governing body, official, etc.
Derived forms
memorially (meˈmorially)
adverb
Word origin
OFr < L memorialis < memoria, memory
Examples of 'memorial' in a sentence
memorial
Maybe see your garden as a memorial to your wife.
The Sun (2016)
He also helped plant a cherry tree in the memorial garden on the school site.
The Sun (2016)
It will now be a sunken white elephant and a permanent memorial to council incompetence.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In most cases, the rooms they left behind are maintained as family memorials, he says.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
She too was in floods of tears at the mass of tributes in the memorial garden.
The Sun (2009)
And he should be honoured with a memorial that will stand for all time.
The Sun (2014)
We had a great day and we raised lots of money for his memorial fund.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They are given a fitting memorial in these eloquent pages.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
It is an exquisite accolade as well as a permanent memorial.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Each of those village war memorials tells a compelling tale.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Do not miss the memorials to local grandees.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Plans for a memorial garden on the site were shelved.
The Sun (2013)
Part of the proceeds will go to the memorial fund.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
So he vowed to fight for a fitting memorial to be erected to them.
The Sun (2012)
It is a permanent digital memorial to more than eight million men and women.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In July its war memorial was defaced by vandals.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There's a museum with a memorial book to record the sorrow.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
And there could be no more fitting job than keeping war memorials clean and honouring those who died to preserve our way of life.
The Sun (2014)
The final clue came from the Monument, erected as a memorial.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The invitation was to a memorial ceremony in Prague to honour the lives of the resistance fighters who had died following the success of the operation.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Canada and New Zealand have their own family memorial crosses.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
memorial
British English: memorial /mɪˈmɔːrɪəl/ NOUN
A memorial is a structure built in order to remind people of a famous person or event.
...a memorial to the dead prince.
American English: memorial
Arabic: نَصْبٌ تِذْكَارِيٌّ
Brazilian Portuguese: memorial
Chinese: 纪念物
Croatian: spomenik
Czech: památník
Danish: mindesmærke
Dutch: gedenkteken
European Spanish: monumento
Finnish: muistomerkki
French: monument
German: Denkmal
Greek: μνημείο
Italian: monumento commemorativo
Japanese: 記念碑
Korean: 기념물
Norwegian: minnesmerke
Polish: memoriał
European Portuguese: memorial
Romanian: memorial
Russian: мемориал
Latin American Spanish: monumento
Swedish: minnesmärke
Thai: อนุสรณ์
Turkish: anıt
Ukrainian: меморіал
Vietnamese: đài kỷ niệm
British English: memorial ADJECTIVE
A memorial event, object, or prize is in honour of someone who has died, so that they will be remembered.
A memorial service is being held for her.
American English: memorial
Brazilian Portuguese: comemorativo
Chinese: 纪念性的
European Spanish: conmemorativo
French: commémoratif
German: Gedenk-
Italian: commemorativo
Japanese: 記念の
Korean: 추모의
European Portuguese: comemorativo
Latin American Spanish: conmemorativo
Chinese translation of 'memorial'
memorial
(mɪˈmɔːrɪəl)
n(c)
纪(紀)念碑 (jìniànbēi) (座, zuò)
adj
[service, prize]纪(紀)念仪(儀)式的 (jìniàn yíshì de)
1 (noun)
Definition
something, such as a statue, built or displayed to preserve the memory of someone or something
Every village had its war memorial.
Synonyms
monument
He laid a wreath on a monument near Bayeux.
cairn
shrine
a shrine to the dead and the missing
plaque
cenotaph
2 (noun)
Definition
something, such as a statue, built or displayed to preserve the memory of someone or something
The museum will serve as a memorial to all those who died.
Synonyms
remembrance
They wore black in remembrance of those who had died.
tribute
The song is a tribute to Elvis Presley.
record
There's no record of any marriage or children.
souvenir
a souvenir of our trip to Paris
testimonial
She couldn't expect him to give testimonials to her ability.
memento
I took a selfie to provide a memento of the day.
3 (noun)
a memorial to the Emperor written in characters of gold
Synonyms
petition
a humble petition to Saint Anthony
address
statement
memorandum
(adjective)
Definition
in memory of someone or something
A memorial service is being held at St Paul's Church.
Synonyms
commemorative
The Queen unveiled a commemorative plaque.
remembrance
monumental
monumental architecture
Additional synonyms
in the sense of memento
Definition
something that reminds one of past events
I took a selfie to provide a memento of the day.
Synonyms
souvenir,
trophy,
memorial,
token,
reminder,
relic,
remembrance,
keepsake
in the sense of monumental
Definition
of or being a monument
monumental architecture
Synonyms
commemorative,
memorial,
monolithic,
statuary,
funerary
in the sense of record
Definition
anything serving as evidence or as a memorial
There's no record of any marriage or children.
Synonyms
evidence,
trace,
documentation,
testimony,
witness,
memorial,
remembrance
Synonyms of 'memorial'
memorial
Explore 'memorial' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of shrine
a shrine to the dead and the missing
Synonyms
memorial,
tribute,
cairn,
monument
in the sense of souvenir
Definition
an object that reminds one of a certain place, occasion, or person
a souvenir of our trip to Paris
Synonyms
keepsake,
token,
reminder,
relic,
remembrancer (archaic),
memento
in the sense of testimonial
Definition
a tribute given for services or achievements
She couldn't expect him to give testimonials to her ability.
Synonyms
reference,
recommendation,
credential,
character,
tribute,
certificate,
endorsement,
commendation
in the sense of tribute
Definition
something given, done, or said as a mark of respect or admiration