memoir
Published life story
A memoir is a written account of personal experiences, typically covering a particular period or theme rather than an entire life.
Unlike autobiography, which aims for comprehensive life history, memoir focuses selectively: her memoir of growing up in rural Georgia, a war memoir.
The plural memoirs often suggests a fuller retrospective, especially by public figures: He published his memoirs after leaving office.
Animate state
- storyAccount of events
- narrativeAccount of events
- chronicleOrdered historical record
- confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
testimony · reminiscence · account · journey · legacy · record · nonfiction · prose
Stored historical records
- chronicleOrdered historical record
- documentaryFactual film about reality
- annalsYear-by-year historical account
- recordsStored data or albums
era · epoch · eyewitness · wartime · testimony · oral-history · witness · generational
Honest and direct
- revelatoryExposing hidden truths
- personalRelating to one's self
- heartfeltDeeply and sincerely meant
- emotionalShowing strong feelings
raw · vulnerable · private · secrets · exposing · unvarnished · truthful · sincere
Recalling past experiences
- yesteryearTime not long past
- bygoneOf earlier times
- sentimentalExcessively emotional about memories
- wistfulSadly longing for something
longing · melancholy · retrospective · flashback · recollection · sepia-toned · halcyon · childhood
Original text before publication
- chapterDivision of a book
- passageSegment of text
- prologueIntroductory literary section
- epilogueConcluding literary section
vignette · anecdote · excerpt · draft · publication · bestseller · ghostwriter · editor
Observing one's own mind
- contemplativeInclined to deep thought
- meditativeInclined toward deep reflection
- pensiveQuietly, sadly thoughtful
- self-examinationScrutiny of one's thoughts
soul-searching · musings · rumination · self-discovery · self-awareness · philosophical · thoughtful · pondering
Encouraging effort or ambition
- empoweringGiving authority or confidence
- upliftingEmotionally encouraging
- triumphResounding, celebrated victory
- overcomingDefeating a challenge
courageous · transformative · resilient · perseverance · survival · redemption · healing · recovery
Book for preserving mementos
- photographsLight-captured images
- lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
- diariesPersonal daily records
- journalsPeriodicals or personal logs
heirlooms · ephemera · correspondence · postcards · clippings · albums · archives · handwritten
life
Animate state
confession · testimony · reminiscence · account · journey · legacy · record · nonfiction · prose · recollection
archive
Stored historical records
- chronicleOrdered historical record
- documentaryFactual film about reality
- annalsYear-by-year historical account
records · era · epoch · eyewitness · wartime · testimony · oral-history · witness · generational
candid
Honest and direct
- revelatoryExposing hidden truths
- personalRelating to one's self
- heartfeltDeeply and sincerely meant
emotional · raw · vulnerable · private · secrets · exposing · unvarnished · truthful · sincere · intimate
reminiscence
Recalling past experiences
- yesteryearTime not long past
- bygoneOf earlier times
- sentimentalExcessively emotional about memories
wistful · longing · melancholy · retrospective · flashback · recollection · sepia-toned · halcyon · childhood · homecoming
manuscript
Original text before publication
epilogue · vignette · anecdote · excerpt · draft · publication · bestseller · ghostwriter · editor · voice
introspection
Observing one's own mind
- contemplativeInclined to deep thought
- meditativeInclined toward deep reflection
- pensiveQuietly, sadly thoughtful
self-examination · soul-searching · musings · rumination · self-discovery · self-awareness · philosophical · thoughtful · pondering · hindsight
motivational
Encouraging effort or ambition
- empoweringGiving authority or confidence
- upliftingEmotionally encouraging
- triumphResounding, celebrated victory
overcoming · courageous · transformative · resilient · perseverance · survival · redemption · healing · recovery · adversity
scrapbook
Book for preserving mementos
- photographsLight-captured images
- lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
- diariesPersonal daily records
journals · heirlooms · ephemera · correspondence · postcards · clippings · albums · archives · handwritten
- booksnovel, textbooks, study guides, book, paperback
- nonfictionbiography, autobiography, biographies, history, documentary
- biographiesbiography, biographies, autobiography, autobiographies, life stories
- humanitiesphilosophy, history, literature, philosophy class, novels
- prosenovel, novels, short story, novellas, essay
- Writing Worldvoice, novelists, style, poets, tone
memoirbiography
Written life account
hagiography · profile · exposé · case study · obituary
memoirfiction
Imagined narrative work
fantasy · novel · fabrication · invention · science fiction
memoirprophecy
Foretelling of future events
forecast · manifesto · prospectus · vision statement · science fiction
- memory lossFailure to recall
- memory laneFigurative path through recollections
- sports memorabiliaCollectible items from athletics
- in memory ofHonoring someone gone
- childhood memoriesRecollections from youth
- memory cardPortable digital data chip
memory, memorial, memories, memorable, memorize, memorized, commemorate, memorizing, memorabilia