reminiscence

American  

[rem-uh-nis-uhns] / ˌrɛm əˈnɪs əns /

noun

• reminiscences
  plural

1. the act or process of recalling past experiences, events, etc.

   Synonyms:

   recollection

2. a mental impression retained and revived.

   Synonyms:

   memory

3. Often reminiscences. a recollection narrated or told.

   reminiscences of an American soldier.

   Synonyms:

   memoir, tale, anecdote

4. something that recalls or suggests something else.

   Synonyms:

   reminder

5. (in Platonic philosophy) anamnesis.

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reminiscence British  

/ ˌrɛmɪˈnɪsəns /

noun

1. the act of recalling or narrating past experiences

2. (often plural) some past experience, event, etc, that is recalled or narrated; anecdote

3. an event, phenomenon, or experience that reminds one of something else

4. (in the philosophy of Plato) the doctrine that perception and recognition of particulars is possible because the mind has seen the universal forms of all things in a previous disembodied existence

5. psychol the ability to perform a task better when tested some time after the task has been learnt than when tested immediately after learning it

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• reminiscences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reminiscence

First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French, from Late Latin reminiscentia, from reminiscent-, stem of reminiscēns “remembering” ( see reminiscent) + -ia -y ³ ( def. )

Explanation

A reminiscence is a memory, or the act of recovering it. A visit to your old elementary school may flood your brain with reminiscences––things you hadn't thought of in years coming suddenly back. Many people find that when they travel or have quiet time to think, their brain becomes occupied with reminiscence. You can see how close the word reminiscence is in meaning to the word remember––you might think of the word reminiscence as a remembering.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reminiscence reminiscences

"At Walpole we spend our lives preserving the past for the education and enjoyment for the next generations and reminiscence for those of us who lived it," she added.

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026

“The combined drop in the dollar, equities and Treasuries was a reminiscence of the ‘sell America’ days of last spring,” said Pesole at ING.

From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026

Except this isn’t a reminiscence about Dombrowski’s legacy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025

Today's funeral for former President Jimmy Carter follows nearly two weeks of reminiscence about the legacy of the Georgia Democrat who held the White House for one term in the late '70s.

From Salon ● Jan. 9, 2025

The evening arrival at the great town of —— scattered these thoughts; night gave them quite another turn: laid down on my traveller’s bed, I left reminiscence for anticipation.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Decades later she contributed to “Whites Remember Jim Crow,” a collection of reminiscences that accompanied a 2001 American RadioWorks documentary about racism in the segregated South.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The concert will feature readings, reminiscences and music from performers such as Samantha Barks and Toploader, plus a nostalgic revival of the BBC wartime comedy Dad's Army.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2025

I did make her a hot breakfast, over which she received my bittersweet reminiscences with mildly amused good humor before returning to her room to get dressed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2024

But it was a bit nerve-racking initially, given that “halting reminiscences about the 1940s” are exactly the kind of thing Joe probably does not want voters associating with him at the moment.

From Slate ● Mar. 8, 2024

His dialect was strong, and he used many names of people, places, customs, tools, that I did not know the meaning of, so I seldom caught more than the drift of his reminiscences.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• anecdote
• recollection
• remembrance