commemorative

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adjective

Serving to commemorate something.

“a commemorative plaque”

Less commonScrabble 24

Meanings

adjectivecommemorative (not comparable)
  1. not comparableServing to commemorate something.

    a commemorative plaque

    2 more examples

    The centenary of Britain's most famous train has called for a commemorative and descriptive work and in this 40-page illustrated booklet the author has tried—with some success, to pour a quart into a pint pot.

    1962 October, “New Reading on Railways: The Flying Scotsman 1862-1962. By C. Hamilton Ellis. Allen & Unwin. 6s.”, in Modern Railways, unnumbered page

    The plaza in front of San Francisco's City Hall was the scene Nov. 27 of two separate ceremonies commemorative of the assassinations one year ago of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.

    1979 December 8, “Services Honor Milk, Moscone”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 20, page 1
nouncommemorative (plural commemoratives)

plural commemoratives

  1. An object made to commemorate a person, mark an event, etc.
  2. hobbiesA postage stamp issued to commemorate, usually a person or event; also commonly applied to thematic (topical) stamp issues.

    beautiful Pictorials, topicals, commemoratives, airmails. Introductory selection 40% discount. Ralph Rice, 15 Longlane, West Hartford 7, Conn.

    1956 December, “Classified Advertisements: Stamp collecting”, in Popular Mechanics, volume 106, number 6, page 57

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveintended as a commemoration

Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. New Latincommemorātīvus
  2. Englishcommemorative

First attested in 1612; borrowed from New Latin commemorātīvus, from commemorō. By surface analysis, commemorate + -ive, cognate with French commémoratif.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian възпоминателен
  • възпоминателен (văzpominatelen)serving to commemorate
Catalan commemoratiu
  • commemoratiuserving to commemorate
Chinese Mandarin 紀念 /纪念
  • 紀念 /纪念 (Jìniàn)commemorative postage stamp
Danish særfrimærke
  • særfrimærkecommemorative postage stamp
French commémoratif, commémoratif
  • commémoratifserving to commemorate
  • commémoratifcommemorative postage stamp
Italian commemorativo
  • commemorativoserving to commemorate
Korean 기념
  • 기념 (ginyeom)commemorative postage stamp
Polish okolicznościowy, pamiątkowy
  • okolicznościowyserving to commemorate
  • pamiątkowyserving to commemorate
Spanish conmemorativo
  • conmemorativoserving to commemorate
Cite this entry
APA

commemorative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commemorative

MLA

“commemorative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commemorative. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “commemorative,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commemorative.

Source: commemorative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.