A war memorial is a place, monument, marker, sculpture, fountain, building, or other structure whose purpose is to memorialize the tragedy or other effects of a war. This includes sites dedicated to the soldiers or civilians killed or otherwise harmed in a war.

A war memorial can serve another purpose as well: for example a stadium, library, or other building can also be a war memorial, especially if it is named as such.

The commemorative purpose can concern military personnel or civilians, and can coexist with another building use. A war-related name alone does not establish that the building was intended as a memorial.