memento

[muh-men-toh]

noun

plural

mementos, mementoes 

1. an object or item that serves to remind one of a person, past event, etc.; keepsake; souvenir.

2. anything serving as a reminder or warning.

3. (initial capital letter, italics),  either of two prayers in the canon of the Mass, one for persons living and the other for persons dead.

memento

/ mɪˈmɛntəʊ /

noun

1. something that reminds one of past events; souvenir

2. RC Church either of two prayers occurring during the Mass

Spelling Note

Memento is sometimes spelled momento, perhaps by association with moment. The word is actually related to remember. One of its earliest meanings was “something that serves to warn.” The meaning “souvenir” is a recent development: The stone animal carvings are mementos of our trip to Victoria. Momento is considered by many to be a misspelling, but it occurs so frequently in edited writing that some regard it as a variant spelling rather than an error.

Word History and Origins

Origin of memento¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin mementō, imperative of meminisse to remember

Word History and Origins

Origin of memento¹

C15: from Latin, imperative of meminisse to remember

Example Sentences

My ideal day is sitting on a patio while scouring Facebook Marketplace for precious mementos.

From Los Angeles Times

Polaroids, knick knacks and mementos are carefully arranged in various tableaus — much as he left them.

From Los Angeles Times

"I know I did something that seemed like consciously collecting a memento from a child," he wrote in a statement.

From BBC

They walked around for 10 minutes scratching their heads, finally leaving behind their own memento: a car license plate they both autographed.

From Los Angeles Times

After the house fell silent, they rifled through pockets of clothes inside the closet, finding a manicure kit and a ninja star inside a box of childhood mementos.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• keepsake 
• relic 
• remembrance 
• reminder 
• token 
• trophy