remembrance

American  

[ri-mem-bruhns] / rɪˈmɛm brəns /

noun

remembrances plural

1. a retained mental impression; memory.

   Synonyms:

   reminiscence, recollection

2. the act or fact of remembering.

3. the power or faculty of remembering.

   Synonyms:

   memory

4. the length of time over which recollection or memory extends.

5. the state of being remembered; commemoration.

   to hold someone's name in remembrance.

6. something that serves to bring to mind or keep in mind some place, person, event, etc.; memento.

   Synonyms:

   memorial, token, souvenir, trophy, keepsake

7. a gift given as a token of love or friendship.

   I sent her a small remembrance on Mother's Day.

8. remembrances, greetings; respects.

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remembrance British  

/ rɪˈmɛmbrəns /

noun

1. the act of remembering or state of being remembered

2. something that is remembered; reminiscence

3. a memento or keepsake

4. the extent in time of one's power of recollection

5. 1. the act of honouring some past event, person, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a remembrance service

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonremembrance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• remembrances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of remembrance

1300–50; Middle English < Old French; see remember, -ance

Explanation

Remembrance is when someone remembers things — your grandfather might have uncanny remembrance of his childhood, for example. The noun remembrance is really just another way to say "memory." It's the process of remembering things that happened in the past. In Shakespeare's play "Hamlet," the character of Ophelia famously says, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance." The smell of the herb has actually been shown to improve memory, and has historically been a symbol of remembrance. Early uses of remembrance had the meaning "keepsake or souvenir."

Example Sentences

It is, at moments, elegiac in its remembrance of the people whose suffering and resistance gave birth to the citizenship clause.

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026

About 200 people wore red while taking part in a 5,000km run held in remembrance of Arsenal football fan Henry Nowak, the event's organiser said.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

Yet the international aspect of the Revolution has fallen out of American remembrance in favor of a version in which the United States more or less does it alone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

To Cohen’s mind, establishing an annual day of remembrance for The Beatles made perfect sense.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

“Oops, I forgot. Ms. Keaton said it was a study period,” I say, feigning a look of dawning remembrance.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Related Words

• commemoration
• memento
• memorial
• reminder