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.
-
something that elicits or displays nostalgia.
noun
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a yearning for the return of past circumstances, events, etc
-
the evocation of this emotion, as in a book, film, etc
-
longing for home or family; homesickness
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He thinks renewed interest is fuelled by nostalgia, and the fact people can switch off while playing - but there's another big reason.
From BBC
"I find the best dishes of mine are rooted in nostalgia and meaningful moments in my life," he said.
From BBC
Through a proprietary mixture of light nostalgia baiting and ever-present curiosity, Gellar has achieved a rare type of icon status — a superstar who owns her legacy, but isn’t willing to rest on her laurels.
From Salon
The viewer comments were so beautiful, people talking about being in love for the first time, and the connection they have with the song, and the nostalgia.
From Los Angeles Times
And using 1958 prices as a benchmark isn’t a serious way to judge value—it is nostalgia posing as analysis.
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.
