reminiscence

noun

rem·​i·​nis·​cence ˌre-mə-ˈni-sᵊn(t)s 

1

: apprehension of a Platonic idea as if it had been known in a previous existence

2

a

: recall to mind of a long-forgotten experience or fact

b

: the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences

3

a

: a remembered experience

b

: an account of a memorable experience

—often used in plural

4

: something so like another as to be regarded as an unconscious repetition, imitation, or survival

Synonyms

• anamnesis
• memory
• recall
• recollection
• remembrance

Choose the Right Synonym for reminiscence

memory, remembrance, recollection, reminiscence mean the capacity for or the act of remembering, or the thing remembered.

memory applies both to the power of remembering and to what is remembered.

gifted with a remarkable memory

that incident was now just a distant memory

remembrance applies to the act of remembering or the fact of being remembered.

any remembrance of his deceased wife was painful

recollection adds an implication of consciously bringing back to mind often with some effort.

after a moment's recollection he produced the name

reminiscence suggests the recalling of usually pleasant incidents, experiences, or feelings from a remote past.

my grandmother's reminiscences of her Iowa girlhood

Examples of reminiscence in a Sentence

his reminiscences about the war were painful to hear

we wondered whether she could trust her reminiscence of events that happened so long ago

Recent Examples on the Web

Even Rolex’s first new family in over a decade, the Oyster Perpetual Land Dweller, is a reminiscence of the Oysterquartz of 1977, explained Kristian Haagen, founder of TimeGeeks. —Stéphane Jg Girod, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

The strange story of what happened to it — and how Tan and her friends Jasmine and Sophie look back on it — forms the spine of this inventive and disarming memoir, which is simultaneously a reminiscence of a rebellious youth, a chronicle of a seat-of-the-pants D.I.Y. film production and a mystery. —Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

The reminiscences divulged incidents from Mr. March’s early life from the days of back yard play to official lamplighter for the city. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025

What’s so haunting about Manda’s reminiscence is its implication that, given different circumstances, Jamie’s story—and Katie’s—could have had a much happier ending. —Judy Berman, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for reminiscence

• concupiscence

Kids Definition

reminiscence

noun

rem·​i·​nis·​cence ˌrem-ə-ˈnis-ᵊn(t)s 

1

a

: a recalling to mind of a past experience

had a pleasant reminiscence of a favorite childhood toy

b

: the process of thinking or telling about past experiences

spent a pleasant hour in reminiscence

2

: an account of a memorable experience

—often used in plural