keepsakes

IPA/kˈiːpseɪks/
KK[kˈipsˌeks]IPA/kˈiːpsˌeɪks/

keepsakes — noun

1. small gifts that people give you so you will think of them or remember a shared

1.nounB1
Definition

small gifts that people give you so you will think of them or remember a shared event later.

Example

Jabari kept the scarf and note from his sister as keepsakes while he was abroad.

keep + as keepsakes

Charlotte gave her nieces two silver bracelets as keepsakes before moving to Canada.

give + keepsakes

Common collocations
  • wedding keepsakes
  • graduation keepsakes
  • small keepsakes
  • give keepsakes
  • keep as keepsakes
Synonyms
  • souvenir

    usually tied to travel or a public event rather than to one person

  • memento

    more formal; can be any reminder of a person or occasion

  • token

    often a small symbolic gift, but not always something kept for years

Grammar Patterns

give + keepsakes

keep + as keepsakes

keepsakes from + person/event

Usage Note

Usually refers to items given to mark a relationship or a moment such as a wedding, graduation, farewell, or camp trip. Distinguish from sense 2: here the focus is on the act of giving, not simply on keeping an old object.

Common Mistakes

The school gave every student a keepsake pen to write the test.
The school gave every student a keepsake pen after graduation.
A keepsake is given as a reminder of a person or event, not for its practical job.

2. objects that someone holds on to because they carry personal memories or emotion

2.nounB2
Definition

objects that someone holds on to because they carry personal memories or emotional value, even when they are simple or old.

Example

Feng sorted through family keepsakes before selling the apartment after his parents died.

family keepsakes

Élise keeps old cinema tickets in a tin with other keepsakes from university.

keepsakes from + period of life

Common collocations
  • family keepsakes
  • cherished keepsakes
  • box of keepsakes
  • sort through keepsakes
  • pass down keepsakes
Synonyms
  • mementos

    more formal; often used in writing about memory and remembrance

  • heirlooms

    usually more valuable and passed down through a family

  • souvenirs

    more strongly linked to travel or a public place than to private family memory

Grammar Patterns

family keepsakes

box of keepsakes

keepsakes from + time/person

Usage Note

Often appears with old family objects, letters, tickets, and photographs kept in a box, drawer, or chest. Distinguish from sense 1: the item may never have been a gift; what matters here is the memory attached to it.

Common Mistakes

The museum sold keepsakes from the dinosaur show.
The museum sold souvenirs from the dinosaur show.
Keepsakes are usually personal objects someone saves, not standard items sold to every visitor.

Word family

  • keepsake
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

A keepsake is a personal object saved because it carries memory or feeling. A souvenir is more strongly linked to travel, a museum, or a public event, and it is often bought. A memento is more formal and can refer to almost any reminder of a person or moment, including a note or photograph. An heirloom is usually older, more valuable, and passed through a family. A token is a small symbolic gift, but it does not necessarily become something someone keeps for years. Compare: a seashell bought on a beach trip is a souvenir, your grandmother's watch is a keepsake or even an heirloom, and a small pin handed out at a memorial service may become a keepsake after the day ends.

keepsakesouvenirmementoheirloomtoken

Common collocations

Nouns

  • family keepsakes
  • childhood keepsakes
  • wedding keepsakes
  • box of keepsakes

Adverbs

  • carefully
  • fondly

Phrases

  • keep as keepsakes
  • sort through keepsakes
  • pass down keepsakes

Prepositions

  • keepsakes from [person/event/time]