commemorate
Definitions
To mark or honour the memory of a person or event, especially with a ceremony
纪念，举行纪念活动
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcom- (together) + memor (remember) + -ate (verb) = to remember together. The com- is the heart of it: you don't commemorate alone but as a community — a nation commemorates a battle, a city commemorates its founding. It always implies a shared, usually formal act of honouring.
Root memor still carries 12 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.commemorate an anniversary纪念周年
- 2.commemorate the dead缅怀逝者
- 3.commemorate the occasion纪念这个场合
- 4.a ceremony to commemorate纪念仪式
Example Sentences
- 1.
A ceremony was held to commemorate the end of the war.
- 2.
The statue commemorates the city's founder.
- 3.
Each year the nation commemorates those who died in service.
Easily Confused
commemorate vs celebrate — Both mark an event, but commemorate is solemn and backward-looking (you commemorate a tragedy or the dead), while celebrate is joyful (you celebrate a birthday or a victory). You commemorate a battle's anniversary; you celebrate a win.