What does memento mean?
A memento is an object, keepsake, or reminder associated with someone or something meaningful. The word often suggests a tangible token of the past, such as a photograph, letter, piece of jewellery, or travel souvenir. It can also be used more broadly for any sign that brings a person, place, event, or experience back to mind. The word has a reflective and sometimes nostalgic tone, implying memory, personal attachment, and the passage of time. In the established expression “memento mori,” literally “remember that you must die,” it instead emphasizes mortality and the limits of human life. Memento is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable and is common in both British and American English.
nounAn object, keepsake, or reminder that brings to mind a person, place, event, or experience. In the phrase “memento mori,” it refers to a reminder of the fact that death is inevitable.
- A keepsake or object that serves as a reminder of a person, place, event, or experience.
- A reminder or sign that calls something to mind.
- In the expression “memento mori,” a reminder of human mortality and the inevitability of death.
"The old photograph was a cherished memento of her years at university."
"This battered compass is a memento of the long voyage that changed her life."
"The ceremony serves as a solemn memento mori, reminding everyone that time is finite."
The standard plural is “mementos”; “mementoes” is also occasionally used.
"The display case contains mementos from the theatre's history."
From the Latin for “remember,” a memento turns memory into something you can hold: a keepsake that keeps the past present.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of memento
The English word comes from the Latin mementum, an imperative meaning “remember,” derived from the Latin root associated with mind and memory. It entered English through French and was established in the sense of a reminder or keepsake. Related English words include memory, memorial, mental, and mention, all reflecting the same broad Latin family associated with remembering and the mind.
Related word forms
How memento is actually used
A memento is typically a personal keepsake, photograph, object, or gift. The phrase “memento mori” is more solemn and philosophical, referring to the awareness that death comes for everyone.