Word
memento
Phoneticsme·men·to, stress on the second syllable
US/mɪˈmɛntoʊ/
UK/məmˈɛntəʊ/
Countable noun
In Japanese
memento (esp. of a deceased person); keepsake; heirloom
Japanese from JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0. All sources.
Definition
n. an object that you keep to remind you of a person or a special event.
n. an object kept as a reminder of a person or event. Often used in the plural to refer to a collection of such items.
Examples
“He keeps a small stone as a memento of his trip.”
“The old photo frame was a memento of her childhood, reminding her of the house she grew up in.”
“The museum's collection of wartime letters serves as a powerful memento of the era's social upheaval, preserving the personal voices of those who lived through it.”
Examples
simple
“He keeps a small stone as a memento of his trip.”
contextual
“The old photo frame was a memento of her childhood, reminding her of the house she grew up in.”
complex
“The museum's collection of wartime letters serves as a powerful memento of the era's social upheaval, preserving the personal voices of those who lived through it.”
Real-World Examples
“Many presidents, however, have given souvenirs or personal mementos to staff.” “It was reported that Mercury’s sister, Kashmira, anonymously spent £3m buying back family mementoes.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin mementō (“remember”), imperative form of meminī (“I remember”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The word in film
Memento · 2000 · Mystery
- Directed by:
- Christopher Nolan
- Starring:
- Carrie-Anne Moss, Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano
Christopher Nolan directs this mystery about a man who uses polaroid photos and tattoos as physical reminders of his past. Because he suffers from short-term memory loss, these objects are the only way he can track his life and find his wife's killer.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Grade 1
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/memento