# memorial

Pronunciation: US say "muh-MOR-ee-uhl" /məˈmɔːɹi.əl/; UK

## Noun

1. An object or structure, such as a monument, that serves to keep the memory of a person or event alive.
   - Simple: An object, statue, or building that helps people remember a person or event.
   - _A granite memorial in the park honors the firefighters lost in the blaze._
   - _Thousands gathered downtown to dedicate the new memorial._
3. A religious service held to remember and honor a person who has died.
   - Simple: A church service held to remember someone who has died.
   - _The parish held a memorial for the departed on All Souls' Day._
   - _Friends gathered at the chapel for a quiet memorial after the burial._
4. A written account of events or of a person's life; a chronicle or memoir.
   - Simple: A written record of events or of a person's life.
   - _His memorial of the polar expedition became a valued historical source._
   - _The abbey kept detailed memorials of each abbot's tenure._
5. A written statement of facts presented as a petition to an authority such as a court, tribunal, or government.
   - Simple: A written request that gives facts and asks someone in power to act.
   - _The merchants drafted a memorial to the crown protesting the trade restrictions._
   - _The committee submitted a memorial setting out the facts of the boundary dispute._

## Adjective

2. Serving to keep the memory of a person or event alive; commemorative.
   - Simple: Made to help people remember a person or event.
   - _A memorial plaque was mounted near the entrance to honor the founders._
   - _The city set aside a memorial day for those who perished in the flood._
6. Held in the memory; retained in the mind rather than on paper.
   - Simple: Held in your mind and remembered rather than written down.
   - _Her account of the ceremony was entirely memorial, drawn from recollection alone._
   - _Among oral cultures, vast genealogies remained memorial, passed from elder to elder._

## Noun

7. A short note or memorandum written and kept as a reminder. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A short written note that helps someone remember something.
   - _The clerk pinned a memorial to the ledger reminding him of the debt._
   - _He jotted a quick memorial of the day's appointments before leaving._
9. The faculty or act of remembering; memory or recollection. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: The ability to remember things in your mind.

## Adjective

8. Serving to assist the memory; mnemonic. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Made to help you remember something, like a rhyme or trick.
   - _Students relied on memorial verses to fix the grammar rules in their minds._
   - _A memorial jingle helped travelers recall the order of the stops._

## Origin

From Late Latin memoriale, the neuter form of memorialis. By surface analysis it can be seen as 'memory' plus the suffix '-ial'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/memorial (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).