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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ACT Vocabulary List
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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.
Washington’s death in December 1799 unsettled Americans with anxiety and nostalgia.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026
These sounds evoke a special kind of nostalgia for me.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026
The period has been the subject of many other nostalgia pieces, though usually without chittering little oddballs at the center of it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
But Summerween is also driven by the forces of emotion and nostalgia, which is how Daisy, 44, a marketing professional and mother of two young children, found herself becoming a Summerween superfan.
From Salon • Jun. 30, 2026
Sometimes I thought I heard Edmond’s voice in my head but it always turned out to be my subconscious replaying old tapes out of some perverse kind of nostalgia.
From "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff
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.
