nostalgia

[no-stal-juh, -jee-uh, nuh-]

noun

1. a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time.

   a nostalgia for his college days.

2. something that elicits or displays nostalgia.

nostalgia

/ -dʒɪə, nɒˈstældʒə /

noun

1. a yearning for the return of past circumstances, events, etc

2. the evocation of this emotion, as in a book, film, etc

3. longing for home or family; homesickness

Other Word Forms

• nostalgic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nostalgia¹

First recorded in 1770–80; from New Latin, from Greek nóst(os) “a return home” + -algia -algia

Word History and Origins

Origin of nostalgia¹

C18: New Latin (translation of German Heimweh homesickness), from Greek nostos a return home + _-algia

Example Sentences

As I wrote recently, Elon Musk’s fixation with Britain’s current social and political crisis seems to be rooted in misbegotten anglophile nostalgia and a grotesque misreading of “The Lord of the Rings.”

Read more on Salon

You know millennial nostalgia has reached a dangerous peak when there’s a new “Now You See Me” in theaters.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The result was a comforting yet bold intersection of Mexican heritage, nostalgia and streetwear.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The directors and writer of the six-part docuseries say the revolution is ‘wrapped in a lot of mythology and nostalgia,’ leading them to uncover some surprising perspectives.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Designers say companies are turning to the old fonts to convey warmth and humanity by tapping into nostalgia for the pre-Internet days as fears about AI mount.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• longing 
• remorse 
• sentimentality 
• wistfulness 
• yearning