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

The detention memo was filed to prevent Spafford from being released pending trial, which was granted, according to court records. —Luke Barr, ABC News, 1 Jan. 2025

The memo specifically referenced vehicle attacks in Nice, France, London, England and New York City. —Tucker Reals, CBS News, 1 Jan. 2025

Scott Murray, deputy public affairs director at the California Department of Social Services, told Castillo that the memo was meant for internal discussions and no plan has been finalized. —Hunter Clauss, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024

The decision, paired with general manager Chris Drury’s open-for-business memo that mentioned Kreider by name, casts doubt over the 33-year-old’s future with the organization. —Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 28 Dec. 2024

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