reminiscent
Americanadjective
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awakening memories of something similar; suggestive (usually followed by of).
His style of writing is reminiscent of Melville's.
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characterized by or of the nature of reminiscence.
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given to reminiscence.
a reminiscent old sailor.
adjective
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stimulating memories (of) or comparisons (with)
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characterized by reminiscence
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(of a person) given to reminiscing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reminiscent
First recorded in 1755–65; from Latin reminiscent-, stem of reminiscēns “remembering,” present participle of reminiscī “to remember,” from re- re- + -miniscī (akin to mēns “mind”; mind )
Explanation
If your uncle tells you that your outfit is reminiscent of the way your mother dressed when she was young, it means your clothes remind him of your mother. Hopefully that doesn't mean your mother is still dressing you. Reminiscent traces back to the Latin for "remember." If a house is reminiscent of your childhood home, it makes you remember your childhood home. Reminiscent can have a good or bad implication. If you tell someone that her paintings are reminiscent of a chimp's finger paintings, obviously that's not so good. But if you tell her that they're reminiscent of Dali, well that might be better.
Vocabulary lists containing reminiscent
Beloved
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100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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David Bowie (1947-2016) Tribute List
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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.
Moreover, EGS costs “have fallen rapidly as drilling performance improves, following a learning curve reminiscent of early shale development.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
In some ways, this year’s heat has been reminiscent of California’s deadly heat event of July 2006, which revealed coastal California’s vulnerability to humid heat, Benmarhnia said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
He is somewhat reminiscent of Ferdinand the Bull from Munro Leaf’s 1936 picture book, carted into the bullfighting ring but refusing to fight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Statistically, it was remarkable, reminiscent of Eric Cantona in the 1995-96 title-winning campaign when he scored in six successive games, five of them when United only scored once.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Before showing it to me he thumbs through it, contemplative, reminiscent; then, “Here,” he says, laying it open on the desk in front of me.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
