What does memorabilia mean?
Word: Memorabilia
Part of Speech: Plural noun
Meaning: Memorabilia means objects collected because they are linked with a famous person, event or period.
Synonyms: souvenirs, keepsakes
Word origin: Comes from Latin memorabilia, the plural of memorabilis.
How do you spell memorabilia?
Syllables: mem - o - ra - bil - i - a
Tricky part: The weak vowel after memor is the trap: in speech it is a faint sound, so students guess i or o.
Watch out for: memoribilia, memorobilia
Memory tip: These are memorable things, and the a that comes after memor in memorable stays in place here.
Memorabilia in a sentence
Example 1: Dadaji's cupboard is full of Bollywood memorabilia, including old film magazines.
Example 2: The museum shop sold cricket memorabilia from the 1983 World Cup.
Example 3: She keeps her school memorabilia in a tin box under the bed.
Fun Fact
Sports memorabilia can fetch huge sums: in 2020 the Australian bowler Shane Warne's baggy green cap sold for more than a million Australian dollars, raising money for bushfire relief.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
memorab____ia
a) ell
b) il
c) ill
d) el
Show answer
b) il. One i and one l: the stressed syllable is short and the l is not doubled.
Sound Check
In which word is 'ia' pronounced differently?
a) trial
b) memorabilia
c) trivia
d) magnolia
Show answer
a) trial. Trial opens with the long i of try; the others have a light ee-uh at the end.
Word Champ
Read the three statements and choose the correct option:
1. Railway memorabilia can include old tickets and station signs. 2. A curator looks after the objects in a museum. 3. A memoir is a small plate for serving sweets.
a) all three are true
b) only 1 and 2 are true
c) only 2 and 3 are true
d) only 1 is true
Show answer
b) only 1 and 2 are true. A memoir is a written account of a person's own life, so statement 3 is false.
Jumble Tumble
Which option has letters that you can rearrange to form a word for objects that collectors prize?
a) bailrimeoam
b) oelhrimoz
c) rnesuoviz
d) hpoteirz
Show answer
a) bailrimeoam. Those eleven letters make memorabilia; each of the others is one letter away from souvenirs, trophies or heirlooms.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An old concert ticket would be worth more as memorabilia if ___.
a) it had been folded neatly in half
b) it had been printed on thick paper
c) it came from a legendary performance
d) it had been freshly laminated
Show answer
c) it came from a legendary performance
2. A collector of space memorabilia would most enjoy visiting ___.
a) a show of old mission badges and photos
b) a lecture on the planets of our sun
c) a shop selling modern laptop parts
d) a new telescope factory in Pune
Show answer
a) a show of old mission badges and photos
