noun
memoir
MEHM-wah
noun
1
A book or piece of writing describing the author's own life and personal experiences.
"She wrote a memoir about growing up in wartime London."
How to Use Memoir
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA book about someone's own life, usually focused on particular experiences rather than a full biography.
Common mistake
A memoir usually covers a specific period or theme in someone's life; an autobiography aims to cover the whole life story.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
memoirs plural
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She wrote a _____ about growing up in wartime London.
Etymology
Borrowed from French mémoire ("memory, account"), ultimately from Latin memoria.