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.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are reminiscing about their love story. Clare Fisher, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025 Cue and Stiller reminisced how the show was one of the first that was greenlighted for Apple TV+ back in 2019. William Earl, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025 Sheridan’s characters often reminisce about a time when everyone in America worked together toward a greater good. Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2025 In the videos, the two actresses reminisced about seeing RuPaul — who was a guest on Live on Thursday — appearing in an ep of their soap in 1995. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 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 14 Mar. 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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