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memorial

/məˈmɔriəl/
/mɛˈmɔriəl/
IPA guide

Other forms: memorials

Just as the Lincoln Memorial pays tribute to Abraham Lincoln, a memorial is anything that symbolizes or celebrates someone who died. Every gravestone in a cemetery is actually a small memorial.

A memorial is a service or statue dedicated to someone who died. A memorial service celebrates the life of the deceased. Something written about the dead person can also be called a memorial, and you could say donating to a dead friend's favorite cause is a memorial to them. If it honors the dead, the word memorial probably fits.

Definitions of memorial
  1. noun
    a recognition of meritorious service
    see moresee less
    types:
    epitaph
    a summary statement of commemoration for a dead person
    festschrift
    a collection of writings published in honor of a scholar
    type of:
    credit, recognition
    approval
  2. noun
    a structure erected to commemorate persons or events
    synonyms: monument
    see moresee less
    examples:
    Lincoln Memorial
    memorial building in Washington containing a large marble statue of Abraham Lincoln
    Pyramids of Egypt
    a massive monument with a square base and four triangular sides; begun by Cheops around 2700 BC as royal tombs in ancient Egypt
    Statue of Liberty
    a large monumental statue symbolizing liberty on Liberty Island in New York Bay
    Washington Monument
    a stone obelisk built in Washington in 1884 to honor George Washington; 555 feet tall
    types:
    brass, memorial tablet, plaque
    a memorial made of brass
    cenotaph, empty tomb
    a monument built to honor people whose remains are interred elsewhere or whose remains cannot be recovered
    gravestone, headstone, tombstone
    a stone that is used to mark a grave
    megalith, megalithic structure
    memorial consisting of a very large stone forming part of a prehistoric structure (especially in western Europe)
    national monument
    memorial consisting of a structure or natural landmark of historic interest; set aside by national government for preservation and public enjoyment
    pantheon
    a monument commemorating a nation's dead heroes
    Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Seven Wonders of the World
    impressive monuments created in the ancient world that were regarded with awe
    triumphal arch
    a monumental archway; usually they are built to commemorate some notable victory
    cromlech, dolmen, portal tomb
    a prehistoric megalithic tomb typically having two large upright stones and a capstone
    menhir, standing stone
    a tall upright megalith; found primarily in England and northern France
    type of:
    construction, structure
    a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts
  3. adjective
    intended as a commemoration
  4. adjective
    of or relating to the memory
  5. noun
    a written statement of facts submitted in conjunction with a petition to an authority
    see moresee less
    type of:
    content, message, subject matter, substance
    what a communication that is about something is about
Pronunciation
US
/məˈmɔriəl/
UK
/mɛˈmɔriəl/
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