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
- 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.
Much of the set’s lyrical content evokes nostalgia and longing and is written, as so much traditional roots music is, from the viewpoint of those living within the culture, including work jargon and local allusions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
The friends attribute their obsession to nostalgia for childhood—when they first watched it—and the simple charm of ’90s New York.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
In a cake defined by nostalgia, that presence matters.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
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 • Mar. 27, 2026
This might be the only time in the history of the world that public school lunch lines have been remembered with nostalgia.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
