commemoration
Americannoun
-
the act of commemorating.
-
a service, celebration, etc., in memory of some person or event.
-
a memorial.
-
(in many Christian churches) a special service or prayer for commemorating the lesser feast on days on which two feasts of unequal rank are celebrated.
Other Word Forms
- commemorational adjective
- noncommemoration noun
- noncommemorational adjective
Etymology
Origin of commemoration
1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin commemorātiōn- (stem of commemorātiō ), equivalent to commemorāt ( us ) ( commemorate ) + -iōn- -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At a massive commemoration marking the anniversary of the Eaton fire this week, local religious leaders read the names of the 19 people who died in the blaze.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2026
"We're opening up our country," he said at a Veteran's Day commemoration at Arlington Cemetery.
From BBC • Nov. 12, 2025
Its publication coincides with the 50th anniversary of Franco's death on November 20, 1975 and the commemoration of Juan Carlos's proclamation as king two days later.
From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025
In more recent decades, a spirit of iconoclasm eclipsed the spirit of commemoration.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
Under Soviet rule, there was no formal annual commemoration for women veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
