remember

American  

[ri-mem-ber] / rɪˈmɛm bər /

verb (used with object)

• remembers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• remembered,
  past participle,  past
• remembering
  present participle

1. to recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory; think of again.

   I'll try to remember the exact date.

   Antonyms:

   forget

2. to retain in the memory; keep in mind; remain aware of.

   Remember your appointment with the dentist.

   Antonyms:

   forget

3. to have (something) come into the mind again.

   I just remembered that it's your birthday today.

4. to bear (a person) in mind as deserving a gift, reward, or fee.

   The company always remembers us at Christmas.

5. to give a tip, donation, or gift to.

   to remember someone in need.

6. to mention (a person) to another as sending kindly greetings.

   Remember me to your family.

7. (of an appliance, computer, etc.) to perform (a programmed activity) at a later time or according to a preset schedule.

   The coffeepot remembers to start the coffee at 7 a.m. every day.

8. Archaic. to remind.

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verb (used without object)

• remembers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• remembered,
  past participle,  past
• remembering
  present participle

1. to possess or exercise the faculty of memory.

2. to have recollection (sometimes followed byof ).

   The old man remembers of his youth.

remember British  

/ rɪˈmɛmbə /

verb

1. to become aware of (something forgotten) again; bring back to one's consciousness; recall

2. to retain (an idea, intention, etc) in one's conscious mind

   to remember Pythagoras' theorem

   remember to do one's shopping

3. (tr) to give money, etc, to (someone), as in a will or in tipping

4. to mention (a person's name) to another person, as by way of greeting or friendship

   remember me to your mother

5. (tr) to mention (a person) favourably, as in prayer

6. (tr) to commemorate (a person, event, etc)

   to remember the dead of the wars

7. to recover one's good manners after a lapse; stop behaving badly

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Synonym Usage

Remember, recall, recollect refer to bringing back before the conscious mind things which exist in the memory. Remember implies that a thing exists in the memory, though not actually present in the thoughts at the moment: to remember the days of one's childhood. Recall implies a voluntary effort, though not a great one: to recall the words of a song. Recollect implies an earnest voluntary effort to remember some definite, desired fact or thing: I cannot recollect the exact circumstances.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rememberer
  noun
• rememberable
  adjective
• unremembered
  adjective
• unremembering
  adjective
• well-remembered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• remembering
  present
• remembered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• remember
  simple
• remembers
  simple
• have remembered
  perfect
• has remembered
  perfect
• am remembering
  progressive
• are remembering
  progressive
• is remembering
  progressive
• have been remembering
  perfect progressive
• has been remembering
  perfect progressive

Past

• remembered
  simple
• had remembered
  perfect
• was remembering
  progressive
• were remembering
  progressive
• had been remembering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will remember
  simple
• will have remembered
  perfect
• will be remembering
  progressive
• will have been remembering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of remember

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English remembren, from Old French remembrer, from Late Latin rememorārī, equivalent to re- re- + Latin memor “mindful” ( see memory) + -ārī infinitive suffix

Explanation

To remember is to recollect, or to call upon your memory. Remember that time you fell out of your tree house and bonked your head? No? Go figure. There are many shades of meaning of remember, but at its core it refers to the act of recalling or thinking back. You can remember something fondly, like your first kiss, or you might remember something suddenly, like when the smell of tar brings back the time your bicycle wheel got caught in a pot hole and you fell off. To remember someone means you show appreciation, like when the Oscar winners try to remember all those names.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

remember remembers remembered remembering

And just remember, he has two seasons to go after the Notre Dame kicking records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

“Looking back, it's so cringe because I just remember so clearly him sliding that piece of paper back to me and being like, ‘Fine.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

And remember, when you think you can stop, always keep wiping.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Some 100 million Americans have been born since or are too young to remember the traumatic day.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

With a groan, you remember the low battery warning during your lunchtime video chat with Shana.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

His brother, Aung Maw Zin, said he remembers Sylvia asking him: “What should I tell my daughter?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

Except Perry remembers the song as a high point for Schon: “You know the guitar outro from ‘Who’s Crying Now’?” he asked a New York Times reporter in 2003.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

He was caught up in the 9/11 attacks and still remembers the day in vivid detail.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Everyone over 35 remembers the bloody civil war of 1997—and those younger grew up in its shadow.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

He remembers when he was very small his mother once said she wished happiness and adventure for him.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

One employee remembered the experimental soy biscuits as “the most vile-tasting things you ever put in your mouth.”

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

Fourth-grader Liliana Guzman, another student council member, remembered watching the work take shape during the previous school year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

One of the jets hijacked on 9/11 hit the Pentagon in Washington, killing 184 people who were remembered by a single bell tolling as their names were read out.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

The school remembered him as an "intelligent, kind and approachable teacher" who "gave generously of himself to the young people in his care".

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Then, as if he’d remembered what they were supposed to be doing, one of them coughed, clicked his heels and thrust his arm forward.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

When remembering “Practical Magic,” Griffin Dunne’s 1998 silly-spooky witchy sister movie, the image immediately conjured has to be that of “midnight margaritas.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Members of the Moneyist Facebook Group also suggest remembering the staff in your 24-hour bonanza at these two establishments.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

"Looking at the paintings I felt like not just remembering all that happened, but remembering that unity that came," educator Farran Burnette, 40, told AFP after visiting the exhibit.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Each way of remembering draws a boundary around the terrorism the nation experienced, deciding how far beyond that September morning its meaning should extend.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

I nodded, remembering the day I had seen that for myself.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• commemorate
• get
• learn
• look back
• recall
• recognize
• relive
• remind