different between treatise vs memoir

English

Etymology

From Middle English tretys, from Anglo-Norman tretiz and Old French traitis (“treatise, account”), from traitier (“to deal with, treat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?i?t?s/, /?t?i?t?z/

Noun

treatise (plural treatises)

1. A formal, usually lengthy, systematic discourse on some subject.

   • “ […] We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps?? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic?? […]”

   • 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 232d.

     And if someone wants to know how to make objections to actual craftsmen themselves on the subject of art in general or any particular art, there are published treatises available, as you know.

Synonyms

• dissertation
• disquisition
• monograph
• treatment (informal explanation, usually in essay form)

Related terms

• treat
• treaty

Translations

Anagrams

• ariettes, iterates, teariest, testeria, treaties

English

Etymology

From French mémoire (“memoir”), from Latin memoria (“memory”). Doublet of memoria and memory.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?m?w??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?m?w??/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /?m?m????/
• Hyphenation: mem?oir

Noun

memoir (plural memoirs)

1. An autobiography; a book describing the personal experiences of an author.

2. A biography; a book describing the experiences of a subject from personal knowledge of the subject or from sources with personal knowledge of the subject.

3. Any form of narrative describing the personal experiences of a writer.

Usage notes

A memoir may differ from a simple biography or autobiography by not focusing on the author as the primary subject matter, but on people and events in the subject's life. Emphasis is placed on personal observations about external events.

The plural memoirs is often used to refer to a single work.

Related terms

• memory

Translations

References

• “memoir” in Michael Agnes, editor-in-chief, Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th edition, Cleveland, Oh.: Wiley, 2010, ?ISBN; reproduced on the Collins English Dictionary
• “memoir” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• “memoir”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).
• “memoir”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• “Memoir” in John Walker, A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary […] , London: Sold by G. G. J. and J. Robin?on, Paterno?ter Row; and T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1791, ?OCLC, page 341, column 2.

Further reading

• memoir on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• memoir in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• momier