souvenir

noun

sou·​ve·​nir ˈsü-və-ˌnir 

ˌsü-və-ˈnir

: something kept as a reminder (as of a place one has visited)

a souvenir of her travels

a souvenir shop

Synonyms

• commemorative
• keepsake
• memento
• memorial
• monument
• remembrance
• reminder
• token

Examples of souvenir in a Sentence

When I went to the Super Bowl, I kept my ticket stub as a souvenir.

kept their love letters as souvenirs of their courtship

Recent Examples on the Web

While many tourists in Istanbul marvel at the Hagia Sophia or explore the Grand Bazaar, Mark Pollard had a different kind of souvenir in mind: a fuller head of hair. —Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025

Insider tip The hotel’s Stéphanie Carpentier says there are two liquid souvenirs no one should leave without: a beer from local microbrewery Socca Bièra, which uses chickpeas in its ingredient list, and a fragrance from Molinard, a perfumery dating back to the 1800s. —Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025

These foldable totes take up minimal space and weight in your bag, yet can serve many different purposes, including that of a beach bag, wet bag for swimsuits, grocery bag, or extra shopping bag for souvenirs. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2025

Just leave time to shop for souvenirs at the Alien Research Center, where a two-story silver alien welcomes you at the front door. —Graham Averill, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, act of remembering, from Middle French, from (se) souvenir to remember, from Latin subvenire to come up, come to mind — more at subvention

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing souvenir

• souvenir sheet
• souvenir shop

Rhymes for souvenir

• auctioneer
• bandelier
• belvedere
• bombardier
• brigadier
• buccaneer
• cavalier
• chandelier
• chanticleer
• chevalier
• commandeer
• disappear

Kids Definition

souvenir

noun

sou·​ve·​nir ˈsü-və-ˌni(ə)r 

ˌsü-və-ˈni(ə)r

: something that serves as a reminder : memento