What does memorable mean?
Memorable means easy to remember, especially because of an event’s striking quality, emotional impact, importance, or unusual character. People use it for experiences, performances, places, people, and moments that remain vivid in the mind after they have ended. The word often has a approving tone: a memorable meal, lecture, or journey suggests something distinctive or especially satisfying. It can also describe unpleasant events, such as a memorable failure or disaster, when the experience is sufficiently powerful to be recalled. In formal writing, memorable often emphasizes significance or historical importance, while in everyday speech it more broadly means that something has made a lasting impression. The word is especially useful when the reason for remembering is not stated, since it suggests that the event or quality itself is powerful enough to stand out. Its Latin roots connect remembering with commemoration, reflecting the idea that something memorable deserves to be recalled or preserved.
adjectiveDescribing someone or something that is easy to remember, especially because it is striking, enjoyable, or important. It can also mean notable enough to deserve remembrance.
- Describing something that is easy to recall or recognize after encountering it.
- Describing something notable or important enough to be remembered.
"The concert was a memorable evening, with the audience singing along to every song."
"She gave a memorable speech that inspired the whole team."
"The small coastal town is famous for its memorable seafood festival."
Memorable literally means “worthy of memory,” a fitting description for anything that sticks in the mind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does memorable come from?
Memorable entered English in the early 15th century from Latin memorabilis, meaning “worthy of memory.” The Latin adjective was derived from memorare, “to remember, commemorate,” from the same Indo-European root underlying English memory. Related English forms include memorial, memorize, and memento, all of which reflect the older idea of remembering or preserving something.
Related word forms
How memorable is actually used
Memorable is common in both formal and informal English. It usually carries a positive connotation, suggesting that something is unusual, moving, enjoyable, or significant, though it can also describe a negative event that is hard to forget.
Easily confused with memorable
A memory is something retained in the mind, while something memorable is easy or important enough to be remembered.