commemorate
commemorate — verb
1. to do something special — such as holding a ceremony, building a monument, or na
to do something special — such as holding a ceremony, building a monument, or naming a day — to make sure people remember and respect an important person, event, or achievement from the past.
Every year on 11 November, the villagers commemorate the soldiers who died in the war.
collocation: commemorate + those who died / war dead
A large stone monument in the park commemorates the famous writer who once lived there.
passive: be commemorated by [monument]
The city held a special ceremony to commemorate the 150th anniversary of its founding.
Many countries issue special stamps to commemorate the birth or death of a national hero.
The bench by the river commemorates my grandmother, who loved to sit and watch the water.
- honour
broader in scope; can be personal, private, or public (e.g. 'honour a promise'), whereas commemorate always involves memory of the past.
- memorialize
very close in meaning but often emphasises creating a lasting physical object or record; slightly less common.
- observe
limited to marking occasions or anniversaries; does not apply to people or monuments ('observe a holiday' vs 'commemorate a hero').
- remember
general mental act; lacks the official, ceremonial, or public dimension of commemorate.
文法句型
commemorate + noun phrase (person/event/anniversary)
commemorate + with + noun phrase (method)
be commemorated + by + noun phrase (passive)
用法筆記
Formal register; always transitive. The object is typically a person, event, anniversary, or achievement. Unlike 'remember,' which refers to a personal mental act, commemorate describes an external, often public act of honouring.