What’s the plural of “memorandum”?
A memorandum (more commonly referred to as a memo for short) is a “short message or record used for internal communication in a business.” The original plural of memorandum, which comes from Latin, is memoranda. Now, both memoranda and memorandums are accepted as the plural of memorandum. Informally, memos is also acceptable as the plural of memorandum.
The committee reviewed several memoranda regarding the budget proposal.
Please ensure all departmental memorandums are filed correctly.
We received three memorandum concerning the new procedures.
Could you sort those memorandum by date? (Using the singular form incorrectly for a plural quantity)
Latin nouns that end in –on/-um and -a:
Memorandum comes from the Latin word of the same form, meaning “(thing) to be remembered,” and is rooted in the Latin word memorare “to call to mind.” Memorandum uses distinct Latinate suffixes, which immediately gives away its language of origin.
For the most part, words in English that use -on/-um in the singular (think curriculum, referendum, addendum, and so on) convert to –a as a plural noun form. This is characteristic of Latin word origin, and memoranda/memorandum are an example of this modification from singular to plural.
Though memorandum is not the only word/noun in English that has conserved its original Latin form, most other Latinate plurals (memoranda, symposia, curricula, and so on) are becoming less common relative to the standard English plural noun modification of adding an -s/-es.
| singular | plural |
|---|---|
| colloquium | colloquia or colloquiums |
| referendum | referenda or referendums |
| memorandum | memoranda or memorandums |
| curriculum | curricula or curriculums |
| addendum | addenda or addendums |
| symposium | symposia or symposiums |
To that extent, memorandums, which is the modern pluralization that uses the regular plural noun form, is accepted as a plural. Which plural form to use on a personal level is up to the individual; we provide the facts (choose whichever suits you best).
“Memorandum” plurals: link the Latin “memoranda” to other plural “-a” words like “data,” and “memorandums” to “albums.”
Examples of memorandum used in context
| Examples of “memorandum” |
|---|
| The company president sent a memorandum to every employee. |
| I am ordered to write a memorandum explaining why we are not advancing. |
| The latter becomes a mere memorandum or formula of registration. |
| Its use, then, can only be as a memorandum. |
| Memos are short for interoffice memorandum. |
Examples of memoranda used in context
| Examples of “memoranda” |
|---|
| Carriers were forbidden to keep any accounts, records or memoranda other than those approved by the Commission. |
| A collection of his diaries, correspondence and memoranda is in the British Museum. |
| For a generation or two the books so put together were handed down by memory, though probably written memoranda were also used. |
| Besides the published writings, there are several memoranda, letters, rough drafts, &c., in the Shaftesbury papers in the Record Office. |
| From time to time he forwarded memoranda to him, and in 1680 he began to promise the “Minutes for Lives,” which Wood was to use at his discretion. |
Synonyms of memorandum
- memo
- letter
- announcements
- notices
- directive
Worksheet
According to the blog post, which are the two standard accepted plural forms of “memorandum”?
Which form is considered the original Latin plural of “memorandum”?
The post mentions that many Latin words ending in -um/-on often form their plural by changing to:
Which of the following is NOT listed as a standard accepted plural form of “memorandum” in the post?
Informally, what is the acceptable short plural form for “memorandum”?
The committee reviewed several regarding the budget proposal. (Based on the Latin plural form usage note in the post)
Please ensure all departmental are filed correctly. (Based on the anglicized plural form usage note in the post)
For the board meeting, we need to prepare all the required .
According to the post, using the singular form when a plural is required is incorrect.
Words like curriculum, referendum, and addendum form their plural by often changing their ending to , characteristic of Latin origin.
FAQs
A: The original Latin plural “memoranda” and the anglicized “memorandums” are both accepted. Informally, “memos” is also acceptable as the plural according to the post.
Q: Can I use “memorandum” for plural?
A: No, the post explicitly states that using “memorandum” when a plural is required is incorrect. It is the singular form of the word.
Q: Which plural form should I use?
A: Both “memoranda” and “memorandums” are accepted according to the post. The choice of which specific plural form to use is “up to the individual.”
Q: What is the word’s origin?
A: The post states “memorandum” comes from Latin. Its original plural “memoranda” follows the Latin pattern of changing -um to -a, common for words like “curriculum”.
Q: Give an example of the plural.
A: The post gives examples. For “memoranda”: “The committee reviewed several memoranda…” For “memorandums”: “Please ensure all departmental memorandums…”
Sources
- Definition of memorandum.
