remembrance

American  

[ri-mem-bruhns] / rɪˈmɛm brəns /

noun

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

• nonremembrance noun

Etymology

Origin of remembrance

1300–50; Middle English < Old French; 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 important to create a remembrance culture that doesn't just doesn't cherry-pick certain chapters of a country's history."

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Train workers were staging a 24-hour strike on Monday in what their union called "an act of collective remembrance, protest and democratic vigilance".

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

In her remembrance, Holmes highlighted their shared “laughter, conversations about life, James Taylor songs” and their “adventures of a unique youth.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

In its way, “Today” has become a bright candle of remembrance and a symbol of communal care, along with a reminder that these broadly recognizable figures are still as human as the rest of us.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

“Glad to part again, Estella? To me, parting is a painful thing. To me, the remembrance of our last parting has been ever mournful and painful.”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Related Words

• commemoration
• memento
• memorial
• reminder