memo

noun

ˈme-(ˌ)mō 

plural memos

: a usually brief written message or report : memorandum

Use headlines, bullets, and lists to organize the memo and the proposal.

—Inc. Magazine

When your boss asks you to find a memo you wrote a year ago, it's hard to remember what you named it.

—Susan Kelley

Phrases

get the memo

informal + often humorous

: to hear about or become aware of something generally known

—typically used in negative constructions to point to someone's surprising lack of awareness, to say that something did not happen as expected, etc.

Officials often warn tourists not to enter the water, but several tourists searching for that perfect Instagram photo apparently did not get the memo.

—The San Francisco Chronicle

The calendar may say only five more days until fall, but mother nature did not get the memo. It is going to be hot and feel even hotter over the next couple of days.

—Carrie Duncan

You're not still wearing those acid-washed jeans, are you? Tube socks and shorts? … OK, so no one told you. You didn't get the memo. Those things went out with neckties the size of small landing strips.

—Christine Keating

It was expected to be a five-set test of endurance … But, Edberg apparently did not get the memo because he just dominated Courier and captured his first- ever U.S. Open title with a straight set triumph at the National Tennis Center in New York.

—Van Earl Wright

Synonyms

• dispatch
• epistle
• letter
• memorandum
• missive
• note

Examples of memo in a Sentence

He sent a memo to the staff.

a long series of memos between the two authors collaborating on the book

Recent Examples on the Web

According to a memo filed by House Republicans, lawmakers have plans to undo former President Joe Biden's expansion of the TFP, which led to a 23 percent increase in SNAP benefits in 2021. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025

The Trump administration also issued a second order indefinitely halting the travel of Health and Human Services personnel, according to a second memo obtained by The Post. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 26 Jan. 2025

The memo says the director of the office of policy planning in the department will develop guidelines for review of all foreign aid within 30 days. —Edward Wong, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025

The waivers were listed in an internal State Department memo obtained by the Miami Herald that was distributed to offer guidance about the review process being launched by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing memo

• counter-memo

Kids Definition

memo

noun

ˈmem-ō 

plural memos

: memorandum