reminder
Americannoun
noun
-
something that recalls the past
-
a note to remind a person of something not done
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of reminder
Explanation
A reminder helps you remember something. If you write "don't forget lunch" on your arm every morning, it means you need a reminder to grab your brown paper bag on your way out the door. A reminder helps you remember, whether it's an appointment, an acquaintance's name, or a grocery list. You can give yourself a reminder, or write one to another person who's prone to forgetting details. The word's been around since the 1650s, and it came from remind, which originally meant "to remember." Later, remind came to mean "to make someone remember," or "to put someone in mind of something."
Vocabulary lists containing reminder
"Mexico City"
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"The Lemon Story"
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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.
See Examples For:
It is also a powerful reminder of the ordeal of serious mental illness and the ever-pressing need to find better drugs to treat it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The gold necklace, which he doesn’t wear anymore, also was a reminder of his family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
The growing support for the Cockroach movement, and the minister’s resignation, are a reminder that in India street protests have often preceded a government’s ouster at the polls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Moderating pay increases are another reminder of the slow-motion cost crunch that both businesses and workers are facing at the moment.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
There’s a little piece of tape over the thermostat, a reminder for me and Sam not to touch it.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
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It is heavily promoting teen accounts, building stricter supervision controls, putting limits on late-night notifications and installing compulsory break reminders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Across the capital, reminders of the night of celebrations were everywhere.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
Yes, this host of self-promoting reminders masked as birthday wishes had an artificial, irritating aspect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
She removed the frame to reveal several more certificates safely secured under the first, like a stack of reminders to keep climbing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
He ignored, as most citizens did, many of the commands and reminders read by the Speaker.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
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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.