An object kept because it recalls a person, place, or valued experience.
Reach for it when naming a memory-bearing object whose personal association matters more than its market value
He saved the worn map as a memento of their first mountain crossing.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm |
|
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
everyday
reminder
Fits when anything prompts recollection or action
Careful A reminder can be a message or alarm with no sentimental value.
everyday
souvenir
Fits when an item recalls travel, a place, or an event
Careful Souvenir often means a purchased product and may lack deep personal meaning.
warm
Fits when affection gives a small object personal value
Careful Keepsake is usually intimate, while a memento may commemorate a public event.
professional
memorabilia
Fits when a group of collectible objects is linked to a person or event
Careful Memorabilia is usually plural in sense and may be collected for value rather than affection.
formal
token
Fits when a small object represents affection, gratitude, or remembrance
Careful Token emphasizes symbolic exchange rather than a memory retained by its owner.
literary
relic
Fits when an old surviving object carries historical or sacred association
Careful Relic stresses age and survival, not a particular owner's memory.
small memento
A small memento from each tour hangs beside the conductor's desk.
keep as a memento
She chose to keep the ribbon as a memento of the opening night.
personal memento
The public archive returned every personal memento to the family.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Leftmostcat, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
Your browser isn't saving lists, so this one will be cleared when you leave the page.