memo

memo — noun

1. a short written document used for sharing information, requests, or announcement

1.nounC1
Definition

a short written document used for sharing information, requests, or announcements among colleagues within a company or institution.

Example

The HR director sent a memo to all employees about the new parking rules.

collocation: send a memo + to [group] + about [topic]

A memo from the CEO announced the dates for the office holiday party.

memo from [person] announces [information]

Common collocations
  • send a memo
  • write a memo
  • draft a memo
  • internal memo
  • office memo
Synonyms
  • memorandum

    the full, more formal version; used in legal and official writing

  • note

    less formal and broader in meaning; can be personal or casual

  • bulletin

    a public notice posted for a wide audience, not sent to specific recipients

Grammar Patterns

a memo + about/regarding + topic

memo + to + person/group

memo + from + person/group

Usage Note

Memo is a shortened form of memorandum. The full form memorandum is more formal and is preferred in legal documents and official writing. Both plural forms — memos and memoranda — are acceptable, though memos is far more common in everyday use.

Common Mistakes

I wrote a memo to remind myself to buy milk.
I wrote a note to remind myself to buy milk.
A memo is an official business document sent within an organization, not a personal reminder.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Memo is the everyday abbreviation of memorandum, used in most office environments for brief internal communications. Memorandum is its more formal counterpart, preferred in legal documents, board reports, and diplomatic correspondence where extra formality signals official weight. Note is much broader — it can be a personal reminder, a lecture summary, or a quick message on a sticky pad, whereas a memo always has an organizational context. Email has largely replaced paper memos in modern workplaces, but the word memo still refers to a specific kind of internal message (often more formal than a typical email) and appears in expressions like "memo to file" or "internal memo." Bulletin, by contrast, is a public notice posted for a wide audience rather than addressed to specific recipients. For example: "The CEO sent a memo about the merger" (formal, internal) vs. "I left you a note on the desk" (casual, personal).

memorandum ↗note ↗email ↗bulletin ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • office memo
  • internal memo
  • staff memo
  • company memo

Phrases

  • send a memo
  • write a memo
  • draft a memo
  • circulate a memo
  • issue a memo

Prepositions

  • in a memo
  • memo about
  • memo from
  • memo to

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Memo is a shortened form of memorandum, which entered English in the 1400s from Latin memorandum, meaning 'something to be remembered.' The Latin word comes from memorare ('to call to mind'), which is related to memoria ('memory'). The clipped form memo appeared in American English around the 1940s and quickly became the usual word for brief written messages sent within offices and organizations.