memoir
Americannoun
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a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation.
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Usually memoirs.
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an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography.
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the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.
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a biography or biographical sketch.
noun
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a biography or historical account, esp one based on personal knowledge
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an essay or monograph, as on a specialized topic
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obsolete a memorandum
Other Word Forms
- memoirist noun
Etymology
Origin of memoir
First recorded in 1560–70; from French mémoire, from Latin memoria; memory
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.
People on the internet seem to be taking Lindy West’s memoir as millennial feminism’s final death knell.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
Ernest Hemingway’s memoir, “A Moveable Feast,” opens with him as a young man in 1920s Paris worrying about the cost of heating his apartment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
His best-selling 2019 memoir “Acid for the Children” puts a lot of his current ethos into context.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
Auf der Maur takes everyone along on the ride with the publication of her expansive memoir “Even the Good Girls Will Cry.”
From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026
“What type of memoir? Where do you put it in relationship to the other memoirs?”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
