Definition of remembernext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word remember distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of remember are recall, recollect, remind, and reminisce. While all these words 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

When would recall be a good substitute for remember?

The synonyms recall and remember are sometimes interchangeable, but recall suggests an effort to bring back to mind and often to re-create in speech.

can't recall the words of the song

When can recollect be used instead of remember?

The words recollect and remember can be used in similar contexts, but recollect implies a bringing back to mind what is lost or scattered.

as near as I can recollect

When could remind be used to replace remember?

Although the words remind and remember have much in common, remind suggests a jogging of one's memory by an association or similarity.

that reminds me of a story

In what contexts can reminisce take the place of remember?

While in some cases nearly identical to remember, reminisce implies a casual often nostalgic recalling of experiences long past and gone.

old college friends like to reminisce

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 remember Despite the anti-DEI climate, private initiatives to remember Rosenwald and the schools continue. Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026 Some may remember the school had been known as Ela-Vernon High School until residents of Vernon Township split and formed Adlai Stevenson High School, which opened in the fall of 1965. Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026 Voters should remember come November. Editorial, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026 Dahl is also remembered for his bigotry — editions of his children’s books have been edited to take out fatphobic and misogynist comments, and the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory had to be tweaked so the title character didn’t come off as a plantation owner. Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for remember
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remember
recall
Verb
  • In the story, when the news of the bombing breaks, all the staff recall their memories of visiting Boston.
    Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Bode recalled in a video shared on TikTok.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Remember.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remember. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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