memoirs
- 1A first-person written account of the author's own life and experiences; an autobiography.
The general's memoirs offered a candid look at the war's final months.
Published after her death, the memoirs revealed a lifelong struggle with doubt.
Similarautobiography, recollections, reminiscences
Note
Plural in form but naming a single book: a person's memoirs are their own life story, told by themselves. The singular memoir is broader, because it can also mean a biography written from personal knowledge of its subject. This plural-shaped use is narrower and points only to the author's own life. It usually appears with a possessive, as in her memoirs or the general's memoirs.
- 2Plural of memoir.
The biography section was filled with memoirs from politicians and artists.
Critics praised both memoirs for their unflinching honesty.
Note
A regular plural, made with a plain -s, that carries all three meanings of the singular. It can mean books about the author's own experiences, biographies written from personal knowledge of their subject, or looser personal narratives of any kind. Two memoirs are two separate works. The same spelling can also name one book, which is the single life-story use.
memoirs is a form of memoir
memoir, noun: A book in which an author recounts their own life and personal experiences. Full entry
- Forms
- memoirmemoirs plural
- Spelling
- memoir → memoirs: add -s
- Sound
- The ending sounds like /z/.
Use it in a sentence
Write your own sentence with memoirs, and AI will tell you whether it fits and which meaning you used.