memento
noun
Libby Lubin
Did you know?
In Latin, memento is the imperative form (meaning it is used as a command) of meminisse, a verb that means “to remember.” (The term memento mori, which refers to a reminder of mortality, translates literally as “remember that you must die,” for example). 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 typically considered a misspelling, but it appears often enough in edited prose (including the work of such esteemed authors as George Eliot and Dylan Thomas) to have been entered in most dictionaries as an acceptable variant spelling.
Examples of memento in a Sentence
Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Each guest will end the party with a pile of mementos to take home.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2026
Spend the next few hours strolling around the Davidson College campus, shopping for a new read at Main Street Books or a charming memento at Honeysuckle Home, and having a leisurely lunch at The Pickled Peach.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
In Europe, rivers running dry after yet another heat wave are once again revealing mementos left behind by sufferers of historic droughts past.
—Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for memento
Cite this Entry
“Memento.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memento. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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memento
noun
