reminder
Americannoun
noun
-
something that recalls the past
-
a note to remind a person of something not done
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of reminder
Explanation
A reminder helps you remember something. If you write "don't forget lunch" on your arm every morning, it means you need a reminder to grab your brown paper bag on your way out the door. A reminder helps you remember, whether it's an appointment, an acquaintance's name, or a grocery list. You can give yourself a reminder, or write one to another person who's prone to forgetting details. The word's been around since the 1650s, and it came from remind, which originally meant "to remember." Later, remind came to mean "to make someone remember," or "to put someone in mind of something."
Vocabulary lists containing reminder
"Mexico City"
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"The Lemon Story"
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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.
“It serves as a reminder of the fragility of the talks as well as underscores how deep the water between the parties still is,” analysts at KBC Bank said in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
“Just a friendly reminder, if you guys need anything at all while your loved ones are deployed, we are here for you 24 hours a day,” Drews said during the call.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
"Ebola may not be the next pandemic. But it is a reminder, a painful one, that the threat never truly goes away," said Tedros.
From Barron's • Jul. 6, 2026
Her memories offer a reminder that, for some professionals, the warning signs were never invisible.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026
It was both a reminder and warning that many did not make it out of the jungle alive.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
