REMINISCENCE Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'reminiscence' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of reminiscence are memory , recollection , and remembrance . While all these words mean "the capacity for or the act of remembering, or the thing remembered," reminiscence suggests the recalling of usually pleasant incidents, experiences, or feelings from a remote past. // my grandmother's reminiscences of her Iowa girlhood

Q: In what contexts can 'memory' take the place of 'reminiscence'?

While the synonyms memory and reminiscence are close in meaning, 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 would 'recollection' be a good substitute for 'reminiscence'?

Although the words recollection and reminiscence have much in common, 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 'remembrance' be a reasonable alternative to 'reminiscence'?

The meanings of remembrance and reminiscence largely overlap; however, remembrance applies to the act of remembering or the fact of being remembered. // any remembrance of his deceased wife was painful

reminiscence

noun

ˌre-mə-ˈni-sᵊn(t)s

Definition of reminiscence next

as in memory

a particular act or instance of recalling or the thing remembered his reminiscences about the war were painful to hear

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in recollection

the power or process of recalling what has been previously learned or experienced we wondered whether she could trust her reminiscence of events that happened so long ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word reminiscence distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of reminiscence are memory, recollection, and remembrance. While all these words mean "the capacity for or the act of remembering, or the thing remembered," reminiscence suggests the recalling of usually pleasant incidents, experiences, or feelings from a remote past.

my grandmother's reminiscences of her Iowa girlhood

In what contexts can memory take the place of reminiscence?

While the synonyms memory and reminiscence are close in meaning, 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 would recollection be a good substitute for reminiscence?

Although the words recollection and reminiscence have much in common, 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 remembrance be a reasonable alternative to reminiscence?

The meanings of remembrance and reminiscence largely overlap; however, remembrance applies to the act of remembering or the fact of being remembered.

any remembrance of his deceased wife was painful

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 reminiscence His memoir is a patchy affair, to be honest, which omits entire swaths of his achievement, yet its wayward momentum exerts a certain charm, as if Hopkins were only just in control of his reminiscences. —

Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 Smith’s ever-present sense of destiny, her mystical optimism, and her penchant for rebellion make for reminiscences that can sound at once bombastic and humble, half-invented and visceral. —

Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025 Ancient Origins drew parallels to older traditions already present at the site, with reminiscences of Bronze and Iron Age occupation, a time during which burial mounds were used. —

Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025 Here, some of Basso’s reminiscences and observations. —

Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reminiscence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reminiscence

Noun

The movie would not ultimately get made, but her work on it colors her memories of early motherhood.

— Rebecca Traister, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2026
Lee wasn’t around, then, to see the Hornets nearly fully erase a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit, turning the reins over to assistant Lamar Skeeter to finish out one of the craziest nights in uptown in recent memory.

— Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026