reminiscent
Americanadjective
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awakening memories of something similar; suggestive (usually followed by of).
His style of writing is reminiscent of Melville's.
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characterized by or of the nature of reminiscence.
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given to reminiscence.
a reminiscent old sailor.
adjective
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stimulating memories (of) or comparisons (with)
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characterized by reminiscence
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(of a person) given to reminiscing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reminiscent
First recorded in 1755–65; from Latin reminiscent-, stem of reminiscēns “remembering,” present participle of reminiscī “to remember,” from re- re- + -miniscī (akin to mēns “mind”; mind )
Explanation
If your uncle tells you that your outfit is reminiscent of the way your mother dressed when she was young, it means your clothes remind him of your mother. Hopefully that doesn't mean your mother is still dressing you. Reminiscent traces back to the Latin for "remember." If a house is reminiscent of your childhood home, it makes you remember your childhood home. Reminiscent can have a good or bad implication. If you tell someone that her paintings are reminiscent of a chimp's finger paintings, obviously that's not so good. But if you tell her that they're reminiscent of Dali, well that might be better.
Vocabulary lists containing reminiscent
Beloved
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David Bowie (1947-2016) Tribute List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After an edgy chase over Ireland in their second match, this was more reminiscent of England's performance on the opening night of the tournament when they piled up 219-1 against Sri Lanka.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
This dessert is decadent and is baked with sweetened condensed milk that’s reminiscent of dulce de leche.
From Salon • Jun. 20, 2026
Within days of the pool’s reopening, algae blooms coated the floor with a thick residue reminiscent of the neon green slime left behind by the Ghostbusters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
It’s reminiscent of former Alaska federal judge Joshua Kindred’s 2024 resignation: Following revelations of conflicts of interest with the U.S.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
About two decades later various other organic phosphates came into use as insecticides, as we have seen, and soon cases reminiscent of the ginger paralysis episode began to occur.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
