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

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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 Attendees read prayers in remembrance of the third grader. Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2025 The debris somehow seems more remote from our moment than the nineteenth-century statuary, a feeling that speaks both to the whiplash of our era and to the ways that discrimination in remembrance shapes which histories are available to the public imagination. Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025 In Southern California, that same spirit of remembrance shines through local festivals and community gatherings. Holly Alvarado, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025 In the comments of the post, Santos’s friends and followers posted remembrances for the late bodybuilding icon. Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for remembrance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for remembrance
Noun
  • A day when the Stanley Cup years finally ride the synaptic road back to long-term memory and the brain finally bumps the past for the present.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Some of the earliest memories of me with my dad were also with Russell, which is really special.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Julianne Moore’s outfit is a reminder that looking polished doesn’t have to mean overthinking it.
    Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • In fact, the Blackhawks’ nondescript 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night was a reminder that as far as the Blackhawks have come, there’s still so much farther to go.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And while Serena did not name the former foe, Venus had her own recollection of what happened behind the scenes.
    Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • But there’s a lot to be gained from listening to first-hand recollections.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Cheney and his daughter were the only Republicans who attended a memorial the following year at the Capitol.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Since his death, Hay has not remarried, but devoted her life to setting up scholarships and memorials in Burton’s name, including donating his diaries to Swansea University, per The Telegraph.
    Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Remembrance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remembrance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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