lest we forget

lest we for·get
/lɛst wi fə(ɹ)ˈɡɛt/uncommon/-fɔː(ɹ)-/

interjection

Used in Remembrance Day ceremonies as a caution against forgetting those who died in war.

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Meanings

interjection
  1. Used in ceremonies and memorials as a caution against forgetting those who died in war.
    1. CanadaUKUsed in Remembrance Day ceremonies as a caution against forgetting those who died in war.
    2. AustraliaNew ZealandUsed on Anzac Day memorials as a caution against forgetting those who died in World War I.

Origin

From the 1897 poem “Recessional” by English writer and poet Rudyard Kipling.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French n'oublions jamais
  • n'oublions jamaisused in ceremonies and memorials as a caution against forgetting those who died in war
Polish abyśmy nie zapomnieli
  • abyśmy nie zapomnieliused in ceremonies and memorials as a caution against forgetting those who died in war
Cite this entry
APA

lest we forget. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lest%20we%20forget

MLA

“lest we forget.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lest%20we%20forget. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lest we forget,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lest%20we%20forget.

Source: lest we forget on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.