English

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Etymology

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First attested in 1599; borrowed from Latin commemorātus, perfect passive participle of commemorō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Sporadic usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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commemorate (third-person singular simple present commemorates, present participle commemorating, simple past and past participle commemorated)

  1. (transitive) To honour the memory of someone or something with a ceremony or object.
    Synonym: memorialize
    On November 11th we commemorate the fallen with a march.
    • 2009, Naava Piatka, No Goodbyes: A Father-Daughter Memoir of Love, War and Resurrection, page 98:
      On the anniversary of Korczak's murder, Israel commemorated him with a special postal issue. As a stamp collector and philatelic columnist, it pleased me greatly when other countries followed Israel's example in honoring him.
  2. (transitive) To serve as a memorial to someone or something.
    The cenotaph commemorates the fallen.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Adjective

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commemorate (comparative more commemorate, superlative most commemorate)

  1. (obsolete, rare, as a participle) Commemorated.
    • 1671, Robert MacWard, The True Non-Conformist..., line 274:
      In almost all the Psalms of praise, we find the preceding distress and afflictions [] first pathetically commemorat.
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See also

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Italian

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Etymology 1

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Verb

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commemorate

  1. inflection of commemorare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

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Participle

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commemorate f pl

  1. feminine plural of commemorato

Latin

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Verb

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commemorāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of commemorō