What does reminder mean?
A reminder is anything that helps someone remember an important fact, event, or action. It may be a note, a message, an object, a person, or a situation that prompts the memory. The word is often friendly and tactful: a reminder can be a considerate way to mention an appointment, a deadline, or a forgotten responsibility without sounding severe. However, it can also carry the implication of mild reproach when someone has already forgotten something. The expressions “a reminder of” and “a reminder to” are especially common. “A reminder of” usually introduces a person, period, or event that recalls something else, while “a reminder to” introduces an action that should be taken. As a countable noun, a reminder is normally used with an article or a possessive modifier. The related verb is remind, and the word can be confused in spelling with remainder, which means the part left over. Reminder is useful because it describes both the practical function of prompting attention and the broader emotional effect of bringing something back into awareness.
nounA person, thing, message, or event that causes someone to remember something or to do something they might otherwise overlook.
- A person, thing, message, or event that prompts someone to remember something or to take a particular action.
"She left a gentle reminder about the meeting on his desk."
"A quick message before the deadline was a helpful reminder to submit the application."
"The old photograph served as a reminder of a summer that seemed impossibly carefree."
The regular plural is reminders, as in “set several reminders.”
"She set several reminders to remind herself to renew the subscription."
Sometimes the most useful reminder is the one that arrives just before a mistake would have become a regret.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How reminder is actually used
The word is neutral in meaning but can suggest gentle correction, especially in phrases such as “a gentle reminder” or “just a reminder.” It is commonly used as a countable noun, including in the constructions “a reminder to” and “a reminder of.”
Easily confused with reminder
A reminder prompts someone to remember or act, whereas a remainder is the part that is left after something else has been used, removed, or completed.
Remind is the verb used to prompt someone’s memory, while reminder is the noun naming the person, thing, or message that provides the prompt.