reminisce

verb

rem·​i·​nisce ˌre-mə-ˈnis How to pronounce reminisce (audio)
reminisced; reminiscing
reminiscer noun

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What Comes to Mind When Thinking of reminisce?

Reminisce and its relative reminiscence come from the mind—that is to say, they come from the Latin word for "mind," which is mens. A root related to mens teamed up with the prefix re- to create the Latin verb reminisci ("to remember"), an ancestor of both words. Reminisce is one of several English verbs starting with re- that mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind." Others in this group include remember, recall, remind, and recollect. Reminisce distinguishes itself from the others by implying a casual recalling of experiences long past, often with a sense of nostalgia.

Choose the Right Synonym for reminisce

remember, recollect, recall, remind, reminisce mean to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind.

remember implies a keeping in memory that may be effortless or unwilled.

remembers that day as though it were yesterday

recollect implies a bringing back to mind what is lost or scattered.

as near as I can recollect

recall suggests an effort to bring back to mind and often to re-create in speech.

can't recall the words of the song

remind suggests a jogging of one's memory by an association or similarity.

that reminds me of a story

reminisce implies a casual often nostalgic recalling of experiences long past and gone.

old college friends like to reminisce

Examples of reminisce in a Sentence

Ray pauses to point out the Whisky a Go Go, on Sunset Boulevard, and reminisces about the night Elvis Presley went there to see the Kinks play. David Wild, Rolling Stone, 13 May 1993
When relatives reminisce about my great-grandfather, they almost always precede it with some reference to his affection for me. Donna Tartt, Harper's, July 1992
We had apple fritters, roast chicken, an enormous lunch, with Mrs. Truman talkative, easy, and the President reminiscing and telling jokes. Lady Bird Johnson 2 Sept. 1965,, A White House Diary1970
He reminisced with old buddies at his high school reunion. She reminisced about her time in Europe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Baker-Mazara met up with his former Aztecs teammates for pizza the night before their first-round games, reminiscing about the good times on the Mesa, envisioning a reunion in the second round. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025 There were fifteen minutes of golf talk, with the President reminiscing about playing with Tiger Woods and Gary Player, and musing about how his Turnberry course, in Scotland, should host the British Open. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025 Silverman reminiscing about an appearance on O’Brien’s show. Cathy Applefeld Olson, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 Almost exactly two years ago, on March 16, 2023, Matheson was preparing to face the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., and was reminiscing about his time there and how his last game with the organization was spent in a suit and tie as a healthy scratch. Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reminisce

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from reminiscence

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reminisce was in 1829

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reminisce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reminisce. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

reminisce

verb
rem·​i·​nisce ˌrem-ə-ˈnis How to pronounce reminisce (audio)
reminisced; reminiscing
: to talk or think about things that happened in the past
reminisced about old times

More from Merriam-Webster on reminisce

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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