memoir
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English
Etymology
From French mémoire (“memoir”), from Latin memoria (“memory”). Doublet of memoria and memory.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmɛmˌwɑː/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈmɛmˌwɑɹ/
- (obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈmɛmˌɔɪəɹ/, /ˈmɛmˌwɔːɹ/
Audio (US): (file) - Hyphenation: mem‧oir
Noun
memoir (plural memoirs)
- An autobiography; a book describing the personal experiences of an author.
- When I retire, I'm going to write my memoirs.
- A biography; a book describing the experiences of a subject from personal knowledge of the subject or from sources with personal knowledge of the subject.
- James wrote a memoir of his grandmother shortly after she passed away.
- Any form of narrative describing the personal experiences of a writer.
Usage notes
A memoir may differ from a simple biography or autobiography by not focusing on the author as the primary subject matter, but on people and events in the subject's life. Emphasis is placed on personal observations about external events.
The plural memoirs is often used to refer to a single work.
Related terms
Translations
book describing the personal experiences of an author
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any form of narrative describing the personal experiences of a writer
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References
- “memoir”, in Collins English Dictionary; from Michael Agnes, editor, Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th edition, Cleveland, Oh.: Wiley, 2010, →ISBN.
- “memoir”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- “memoir”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- “memoir”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “Memoir” in John Walker, A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary , London: Sold by G. G. J. and J. Robinſon, Paternoſter Row; and T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1791, →OCLC, page 341, column 2.
- Jespersen, Otto (1909) A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles (Sammlung germanischer Elementar- und Handbücher; 9), volumes I: Sounds and Spellings, London: George Allen & Unwin, published 1961, § 10.571, page 304.
Further reading
memoir on Wikipedia.Wikipedia - “memoir”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
