nostalgia

American  

[no-stal-juh, -jee-uh, nuh-] / nɒˈstæl dʒə, -dʒi ə, nə- /

noun

1. 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.

2. something that elicits or displays nostalgia.

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nostalgia British  

/ -dʒɪə, nɒˈstældʒə /

noun

1. a yearning for the return of past circumstances, events, etc

2. the evocation of this emotion, as in a book, film, etc

3. longing for home or family; homesickness

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Other Word Forms

• nostalgic adjective

Etymology

Origin of nostalgia

First recorded in 1770–80; from New Latin, from Greek nóst(os) “a return home” + -algia -algia

Example Sentences

“Saying that there’s some built-in nostalgia and memories that you can remember with your family … that’s what made it really exciting,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Bad Bunny, ’90s nostalgia and artificial intelligence created buzz off the field.

From The Wall Street Journal

Familiar brands like Pepsi, Lays and Budweiser allow their brand to shine through and often focus on nostalgia.

From Salon

In this, Mr. Pahlavi aligns with millions of Iranians who recall life under the shah with nostalgia and remember the shah himself as a patriot.

From The Wall Street Journal

If 2016 may feel like just yesterday to older people, for Gen Z consumers driving newer trends, the year speaks to simpler times on a much more compressed nostalgia scale.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• longing
• remorse
• sentimentality
• wistfulness
• yearning