reminiscence bump

American  

[rem-uh-nis-uhns buhmp] / ˌrɛm əˈnɪs əns ˌbʌmp /

noun

Psychology.

1. an observed tendency among adults over the age of 40 to have memories from their adolescence and early adulthood that are more numerous, more clearly recalled, and more pleasant or positive than those from any other period of their life.

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Etymology

Origin of reminiscence bump

First recorded in 1990–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reminiscence bump

That’s because the years from adolescence into early adulthood form what memory researchers call the reminiscence bump, when we forge our strongest musical memories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

According to the reminiscence bump theory, we all have a culturally conditioned “life script” that serves, in our memory, as the narrative of our lives.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2014

Researchers at the University of Leeds proposed one enticing explanation in 2008: The years highlighted by the reminiscence bump coincide with “the emergence of a stable and enduring self.”

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2014

If the reminiscence bump were merely an offshoot of how our brains store memories, the researchers argued, the children wouldn’t have also privileged their 20s when projecting ahead.

From Slate ● Jan. 18, 2013

Something else made the survivors’ painful memories so persistent—and that something might shed light on the standard reminiscence bump in ways the life script couldn’t.

From Slate ● Jan. 18, 2013

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