memorial service

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   A gathering held to remember and honor a person who has died, usually without the body present.

   Grammar: Plural: memorial services.

   Patterns

   • a memorial service for someone

   The memorial service was held in the school hall.

   Hundreds attended her memorial service.

   A memorial service for the victims is planned for Sunday.

Word forms

Common combinations

hold a memorial service

The family will hold a memorial service next month.

attend a memorial service

Many friends attended the memorial service.

private memorial service

They held a private memorial service.

memorial service for

A memorial service for the founder took place.

public memorial service

A public memorial service drew thousands.

Synonyms and how they differ

funeral

Funeral is the ceremony around the burial or cremation, while a memorial service may happen later.

wake

Wake is a social gathering before or after burial.

vigil

Vigil is a quiet watch held in remembrance.

tribute

Tribute may be any act of honor, not a service.

Word family

memorial noun

Something that honors someone.

memorialize verb

To honor memory.

memory noun

Something remembered.

Commonly confused: memorial service or funeral service?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “memorial service”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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