What does reminiscence mean?
Reminiscence is a formal or literary noun for a memory or recollection of something that happened in the past. It often carries a nostalgic tone and may suggest that the remembered experience is vivid, incomplete, or emotionally significant. A reminiscence can be an event recalled by the mind, such as memories of childhood, or an object, sound, smell, or place that evokes memories of an earlier period. The word is especially common in reflective writing and in the plural form “reminiscences,” as in “sharing reminiscences of school.” It is related in meaning to memory, recollection, and remembrance, but it usually has a somewhat more literary and evocative character than those general terms. Learning the word adds precision to descriptions of memory because it can refer both to the act of recalling the past and to the sensory or emotional impression that brings it back.
nounA recollection of a past experience or event, often with a nostalgic or indistinct quality. It can also refer to something that brings back memories or suggests the past.
- A recollection or memory of a past experience or event.
- Something that brings back memories or suggests a particular past experience or period.
"The scent of woodsmoke brought back a reminiscence of childhood summers."
"Her reminiscences of university days were filled with warmth and affection."
"The old railway station has a strong reminiscence of the industrial age."
The plural is the usual form when referring to memories or recollections collectively, especially in nostalgic or reflective contexts.
"They spent the evening exchanging reminiscences of their childhood."
The word literally means “bringing back to mind”: a reminiscence is memory reaching across time to retrieve a moment that is gone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reminiscence come from?
Reminiscence comes from Latin reminiscentia, meaning “a remembrance” or “a calling to mind.” This in turn comes from reminiscere, “to remember” or “call to mind,” formed from re-, meaning “again,” and mens, meaning “mind.” The word entered English in the early seventeenth century and developed through French and English literary usage into its modern sense of a recollection, often a nostalgic one. Its relatives include the adjective “reminiscent” and the verb “reminisce,” as well as “remind” and “reminder,” which share the same re- and mind-based roots.
Related word forms
How reminiscence is actually used
The word is formal and literary, and is often used in a nostalgic or reflective register. The plural “reminiscences” is much more common when referring to a collection of memories from the past.
Easily confused with reminiscence
Remembrance is generally the act or capacity of remembering, whereas a reminiscence is a particular recollection, often vivid, partial, or nostalgic.