What does reminded mean?
Remind means to help someone remember, usually by mentioning a person, place, event, or idea that brings the relevant memory back into focus. The most common pattern is 'remind someone of something,' as in a song reminding a listener of an earlier time. It can also mean 'remind someone to do something,' particularly when a person must perform a task or meet a deadline. The word often implies that something has been forgotten or requires renewed attention, but it can simply prompt reflection: a difficult question may remind colleagues of an important principle. Remind is the past tense of the verb remind and is fully standard in formal and informal contexts. Its related noun, reminder, refers to the prompt itself, such as a note or message designed to prevent an omission. The verb is useful because it describes not only deliberate acts of prompting memory but also the involuntary way a sensory detail can bring back an earlier experience.
verbTo cause someone to remember something, especially by mentioning it or bringing it to their attention. It can also mean to make someone think about something again.
- To cause someone to remember something, especially by mentioning it.
- To bring a thought, feeling, or experience back to someone's mind.
- To make someone think about or reconsider something.
- To tell someone to do something, as in a reminder.
"The photograph reminded her of a summer she had spent with her grandmother."
"The old song reminded him of his childhood."
"Please remind me to send the report before Friday."
"The question reminded us that the deadline was approaching."
To remind someone is to give memory a helpful nudge: the fact itself may be old, but your attention to it can be new.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reminded come from?
The verb remind derives from Old English gemīnan, formed from the prefix ge- and mīnan, meaning to remind or advise. In Middle English it developed into the form remind, while the sense of prompting memory became established. The root is reflected in related forms such as reminder and reminds us cognates including German mahnen, meaning to remind or admonish.
Related word forms
How reminded is actually used
The construction 'remind someone of something' is standard in both British and American English. In the sense of prompting someone to remember an obligation, 'remind someone to do something' is especially common.
Easily confused with reminded
Remind is a verb meaning to help someone remember, whereas remainder is a noun for what is left over.