in memoriam

preposition

in me·​mo·​ri·​am ˌin-mə-ˈmȯr-ē-əm How to pronounce in memoriam (audio)
: in memory of
used especially in epitaphs

Did you know?

Since the days of the Roman empire, the words In memoriam, followed by a name, have been found on monuments and gravestones. They may also appear in the dedication of a book or poem; Alfred Tennyson's greatest poem is his immense In Memoriam, written over a period of 17 years to mourn the death of his dear friend Arthur Hallam.

Examples of in memoriam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gene Hackman honored during Oscars' in memoriam Gene Hackman, the Oscar-winning actor who was found dead alongside wife Betsy Arakawa on Wednesday, was honored with his own segment headed up by co-star Morgan Freeman. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025 George Armitage, director of films including Miami Blues and Grosse Point Blank, also did not appear in the in memoriam sequence. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025 Cage also paid tribute to the late David Lynch, who was remembered during the Saturn Awards in memoriam tribute. Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025 Before the annual in memoriam segment, host Trevor Noah reminded audiences of the devastating plane crashes that claimed dozens of lives last week. Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for in memoriam

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in memoriam was in 1850

Cite this Entry

“In memoriam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20memoriam. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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