nostalgia
Americannoun
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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.
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something that elicits or displays nostalgia.
noun
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a yearning for the return of past circumstances, events, etc
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the evocation of this emotion, as in a book, film, etc
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longing for home or family; homesickness
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nostalgia
First recorded in 1770–80; from New Latin, from Greek nóst(os) “a return home” + -algia -algia
Explanation
Think of the noun nostalgia when you long for the good old days of the past. The noun nostalgia was invented by a Swiss doctor in the late 1600s. He put together the Greek nostos "homecoming" and algos "pain, distress" as a literal translation of the German Heimweh "homesickness." Originally, it was a medical diagnosis for mercenary soldiers. Today, it describes a bittersweet longing for the past. Think of the dreamy way your grandpa tells stories of his childhood — he's got nostalgia.
Vocabulary lists containing nostalgia
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 3
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The Alchemist
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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.
Asked why she took this musical direction, the 33-year-old says it was down to "the nostalgia of the indie sound".
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
The song is a nostalgia hit for the elder millennials in the room, and it crystallizes this moment in time in the early 2000s, girls on the cusp of adulthood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
“The guiding principle was to get to this sense of nostalgia and the analog world,” Savur said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Hallin did not play many games as a child so he says nostalgia isn't much of a motivator for him.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Nah, nostalgia is a side effect of dying,” he answered.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
