A memoir (/ˈmɛm.wɑːr/;[1] from French mémoire [me.mwaʁ], from Latin memoria 'memory, remembrance') is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories.[2][3] The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiography since the late 20th century, the genre is differentiated in form, presenting a narrowed focus, usually a particular time phase in someone's life or career. A biography or autobiography tells the story "of a life", while a memoir often tells the story of a particular career, event, or time, such as touchstone moments and turning points in the author's life. The author of a memoir may be referred to as a memoirist or a memorialist.
- ^ "memoir". Oxford Learner's Dictionaries. Oxford University Press.
- ^ "memoir". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- ^ "memoir". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2019-12-22.