Commemorating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Observing a notable occasion, individual, or milestone by establishing a remembrance
2. Celebrating and acknowledging significant events or figures through traditional acts or commemorative activities
3. Marking an important person or event by creating a lasting memory or tribute

Etymology: "Commemorating" is the present participle of "commemorate", which entered English in 1599 as a borrowing of the Latin "commemorātus", the perfect passive participle of "commemorō". The Latin verb is built from "com-", an intensifying prefix meaning "together" or "thoroughly", and "memorare", "to call to mind", itself rooted in "memor", "mindful". Literally, to commemorate something was to bring it thoroughly back to mind, so the word's core idea has always been memory rather than ceremony. The ceremonial sense grew out of that act of remembering. A commemoration was a way of keeping someone or something present in the minds of a community, usually through a shared observance, so the public rituals we now associate with the word are simply memory made collective. The English verb kept the Latin shape almost unchanged, which is why its stress and spelling still look so openly Latin.

Synonyms: honoring, celebrating, observing

Antonyms: disregarding, neglecting