memoir
5 synonyms for memoir, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A book or piece of writing describing the author's own life and personal experiences.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
personal account
Etymology
Borrowed from French mémoire ("memory, account"), ultimately from Latin memoria.
Full origin of memoir →Frequently asked questions
What does “memoir” mean?
The word “memoir” means a book or piece of writing describing the author's own life and personal experiences. In plain terms, a book about someone's own life, usually focused on particular experiences rather than a full biography.
How do you pronounce “memoir”?
“Memoir” is pronounced MEHM-wah (/ˈmɛmˌwɑɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “memoir” in a sentence?
Here is “memoir” used in a sentence: “She wrote a memoir about growing up in wartime London.”
What part of speech is “memoir”?
“Memoir” is a noun.
Where does the word “memoir” come from?
The word “memoir” comes from Latin. Borrowed from French mémoire ("memory, account"), ultimately from Latin memoria.
Is “memoir” a common word?
“Memoir” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between a memoir and an autobiography?
A memoir focuses on a specific period, theme, or set of personal experiences in the author's life, often written with a narrower, more reflective lens. An autobiography aims to cover the author's entire life story from beginning to the present, in a more comprehensive and chronological way.
What is the difference between a memoir and a biography?
A memoir is written by the subject themselves about their own life and experiences. A biography is written by someone else about another person's life, drawing on research rather than firsthand memory.
Does a memoir have to be entirely factual?
A memoir is meant to describe the author's own life and personal experiences truthfully, though it typically reflects the author's subjective memory and perspective rather than being a strictly documented historical record. This distinguishes it from more rigorously fact-checked forms of nonfiction.
