REMEMBRANCE Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

remembrance

noun

ri-ˈmem-brən(t)s

Definition of remembrance next

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

Relevance

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

as in recollection

the power or process of recalling what has been previously learned or experienced remembrance will wane with age

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 The comments illustrate a divide on the use of AI for Holocaust remembrance and education. —

Toby Axelrod, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026 The remembrance event takes place every May. —

Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026 Her outside-looking in remembrances (Romvari shoots scenes sometimes from the perspective of looking through a window) elliptically convey much – parental anguish about what would be the best call to action for the entire family, not the upheaval felt within the family. —

Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026 Jane Fonda has posted a lengthy and emotional Instagram remembrance of her ex-husband Ted Turner, who died Wednesday at 87. —

Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for remembrance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for remembrance

Noun

Human beings in 2026 know better than perhaps any other preceding generation the ephemeral nature of memory.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Inside, vintage Jet magazine covers, family heirlooms, and historic photographs create an intimate space where food, memory, and community come together.

— Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026

Definition of memory

Browse Nearby Words

remembers

remembrance

remembrances

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Remembrance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/remembrance. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of remembrance

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on remembrance

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fraught

Popular in Grammar & Usage

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Regarding the Incorrect Use of 'Decimate'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Popular in Wordplay

Strange Words for Body Functions

Where does 'curiosity killed the cat' come from?

What to Call the Inept, Incompetent, and Inferior

The Words of the Week - May 22

Insults and Compliments from Recent Slang

Popular

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Strange Words for Body Functions

Where does 'curiosity killed the cat' come from?

Games & Quizzes