Definition of remembrancenext
1
as in memory
a particular act or instance of recalling or the thing remembered a happy couple with many fond remembrances of when they were dating in college

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in reminder
something that serves to keep alive the memory of a person or event she gave her boyfriend on the eve of his military service one of her lockets as a remembrance of their abiding affection

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word remembrance distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of remembrance are memory, recollection, and reminiscence. While all these words mean "the capacity for or the act of remembering, or the thing remembered," remembrance applies to the act of remembering or the fact of being remembered.

any remembrance of his deceased wife was painful

In what contexts can memory take the place of remembrance?

While in some cases nearly identical to remembrance, 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

When is recollection a more appropriate choice than remembrance?

The meanings of recollection and remembrance largely overlap; however, recollection adds an implication of consciously bringing back to mind often with some effort.

after a moment's recollection he produced the name

Where would reminiscence be a reasonable alternative to remembrance?

The synonyms reminiscence and remembrance are sometimes interchangeable, but reminiscence suggests the recalling of usually pleasant incidents, experiences, or feelings from a remote past.

my grandmother's reminiscences of her Iowa girlhood

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of remembrance May many a Polish sausage be consumed today in his honor, many Old Styles drank in his memory, and multiple referees given the finger in his remembrance. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 For decades, the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach has been a formal place of remembrance for the six million Jews and millions of others murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust. — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026 Creel is only the latest Bayside High School Tiger to share kind remembrances of Haskins. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2026 The singer will perform alongside Sombr, and Teddy Swims, with Adam Blackstone serving as musical director for the remembrance. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for remembrance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remembrance
Noun
  • The blue world on the paper and the dream-shapes of the music might well be one of those timeless memories of a child.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The experience highlighted how increasingly sophisticated consumer products require more computing power and memory, creating additional opportunities for chipmakers.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Christa Pike is a reminder that women can commit horrific crimes too.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That openness is the best thing about Cooked, a record that summons electric Miles and Popol Vuh and the Necks but mostly explores endless emotional ambiguity, offering a reminder that very few sensations are ever pure.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The coupling of violence with law and order is ever present in the agent’s recollections, but tonally, the show feels light.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • And what begins as this idyllic ‘Prairie Home Companion’ recollection of this town’s beautiful history devolves into a sort of parable on xenophobia and colonization.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The Chicago archdiocese recognized Rubey's work this year by dedicating in his honor a memorial to the lives lost to suicide and their surviving families.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The memorial, which features sculptures of an angel and bronze doves, is located in a cemetery that is also home to the world’s largest Catholic mausoleum.
    — Luis Andres Henao, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Remembrance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remembrance. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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