remind

American  

[ri-mahynd] / rɪˈmaɪnd /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause (a person) to remember; cause (a person) to think (of someone or something).

   Remind me to phone him tomorrow. That woman reminds me of my mother.

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remind British  

/ rɪˈmaɪnd /

verb

1. to cause (a person) to remember (something or to do something); make (someone) aware (of something he may have forgotten)

   remind me to phone home

   flowers remind me of holidays

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Other Word Forms

• reremind verb (used with object)
• unreminded adjective

Etymology

Origin of remind

First recorded in 1635–45; re- + mind

Explanation

To remind is to cause someone to remember, as when George Orwell writes, "The aim of a joke is not to degrade the human being, but to remind him that he is already degraded." In remind, which appears in the early 17th century, the re-, of course, means "again," so the word can be thought of as "to mind again," or "think again," meaning to put something in someone's mind, to make them remember.

Example Sentences

Ms. Gerson takes her book’s title from the biblical story of the Exodus—“my father was a wandering Aramean”—to remind us of the itinerant past all humans share.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

She said she has to constantly remind herself that she shouldn't feel any shame.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

But when those agendas conflict, these justices seem to relish the opportunity to remind the president that they can still tell him no anytime they please.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

“You’re a slacker. You remind me of your father when he went here. He was a slacker, too.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

When I do, my stomach sinks, but I remind myself that I’m not afraid of the boys.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• admonish
• advise
• caution
• emphasize
• mention
• note
• point out
• prod
• prompt
• recall
• remember
• stress
• suggest
• warn