reminiscing

American  

[rem-uh-nis-ing] / ˌrɛm əˈnɪs ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of recalling past experiences or events, especially with pleasure or nostalgia.

   The benefits of reminiscing are widely recognized as having a positive effect on the emotional well-being of elderly people.

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adjective

1. engaged in or expressing such recollection.

   The reminiscing narrator sprinkles the narrative with self-conscious comments like "I remember" or "Funny, the things you remember."

Etymology

Origin of reminiscing

First recorded in 1865–70; reminisc(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ for the noun; reminisc(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² for the adjective

Example Sentences

He worked with my sister in “War of the Worlds,” and I was like a 5-year-old running around on set, and we were kind of reminiscing about that.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

Her new show finds the artist reminiscing about "what you would have done differently, what you regret" and, she added, what you would do differently "if you had another chance".

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

When reminiscing about films or promulgating his ideas on technique, Kurosawa comes across as approachable and marvelously unassuming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

In 1972, filmmaker William Greaves reconvened a group of artists and luminaries from the Harlem Renaissance including musicians, playwrights, poets and scholars at Duke Ellington’s townhouse for an afternoon of reminiscing and rumination.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

When Vivi wasn’t reminiscing about home, she was a terror.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black