memento

noun

me·​men·​to mə-ˈmen-(ˌ)tō 

nonstandard

mō- 

plural mementos or mementoes

: something that serves to warn or remind

a museum filled with war mementos

—Libby Lubin

also : souvenir

mementos of their travels

Did you know?

Memento comes from the imperative form of meminisse, a Latin verb that literally means "to remember." (The term memento mori, meaning "a reminder of mortality," translates as "remember that you must die.") The history of memento makes it clear where its spelling came from, but because a memento often helps one remember a particular moment, people occasionally spell the term momento. This is usually considered a misspelling, but it appears often enough in edited prose to have been entered in most dictionaries as an acceptable variant spelling.

Synonyms

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

Examples of memento in a Sentence

a collection of photographs and mementos

It was a memento of our trip.

Recent Examples on the Web

Congregation members will get the first opportunity to remove items and mementos from the church, but the community will also be given a chance to retain some elements, including furnishings. —Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 3 May 2024

Upstairs, museum visitors learn all about Coubertin and see mementos of Olympic sports. —John Branch, New York Times, 2 May 2024

But that has not stopped the 67-year-old from saying that the display of the heirloom in states Mama Hayes collected mementos from is to raise money to help defray the burgeoning national debt. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024

Guests can create custom bouquets at a bloom bouquet bar during the brunch, and there will be an opportunity to pose with a photo or memento of their mom for a professional portrait by photographer Alex Rodriquez. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024

Perhaps Lipa — who has been steadily building her repertoire of quirky bag charms since November after starting out with just a few woven keychains — is also feeling drawn to the physical memento. —Leah Dolan, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

Display mementos with this wall mirror and shelf duo from Threshold. —Ali Faccenda, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2024

Keep your eclipse glasses from 2024 total solar eclipse Feel free to keep your eclipse glasses as a memento from the occurrence or for future use. —Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024

Visitors can pick up a memento at Viking Traders, How to Treat Your Dragon, Hiccup’s Work Shop, or Toothless’ Treasures. —Mackenzie Schmidt, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, remember, imperative of meminisse to remember; akin to Latin ment-, mens mind — more at mind

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing memento

• memento mori

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Kids Definition

memento

noun

me·​men·​to mi-ˈment-ō 

plural mementos or mementoes

: something that serves to warn or remind

also : souvenir

mementos of a trip