Dictionary / remember
remember
- verb
- from Old French
To recall from one's memory; to have an image in one's memory.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “remember” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
verb
- To recall from one's memory; to have an image in one's memory.
In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road.1852, Mrs M.A. Thompson, “The Tutor's Daughter”, in Graham's American Monthly Magazine of Literature, Art, and Fashion, page 266:
- To memorize; to put something into memory.
Please remember this formula!
- To keep in mind; to be mindful of.
Remember what I've said.
- To not forget (to do something required)
Remember to lock the door when you go out.
- To convey greetings from.
Please remember me to your brother.
- intransitiveTo engage in the process of recalling memories.
You don't have to remind him; he remembers very well.
- transitiveTo give (a person) money as a token of appreciation of past service or friendship.
My aunt remembered me in her will, leaving me several thousand pounds.
- transitiveTo commemorate, to have a remembrance ceremony.
Today we remember and honour those who have served.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
- obsoleteTo put in mind; to remind (also used reflexively).
Cross-check: WordNet senses (8)
- verbrecall knowledge from memory; have a recollection — also: retrieve, recall, call back, call up, recollect
- verbkeep in mind for attention or consideration — also: think of
- verbrecapture the past; indulge in memories — also: think back
- verbshow appreciation to
- verbmention favorably, as in prayer
- verbmention as by way of greeting or to indicate friendship — also: commend
- verbexercise, or have the power of, memory
- verbcall to remembrance; keep alive the memory of someone or something, as in a ceremony — also: commemorate
Synonyms: recall, reminisce, retrieve, bear in mind, bethink, keep in mind, mind, recollect, remember, think back, umbethink
Antonyms: forget, remind, shut the door on
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)remember
- Middle Englishremembren
- Old Frenchremembrer “to remember”
- Late Latinrememorari “to remember again”
- Late Latinre- + memor “mindful”
- Proto-Indo-European* (s)
From Middle English remembren, from Old French remembrer (“to remember”), from Late Latin rememorari (“to remember again”), from re- + memor (“mindful”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (“to think about, be mindful, remember”). Cognate with Old English mimorian, mymerian (“to remember, commemorate”), Old English māmorian (“to deliberate, plan out, design”). More at mimmer and mammer. Compare also dialectical English umbethink.
etymology note
The success of the Old French word was helped by its proximity in sound and meaning to an existing Germanic word: Old English mimorian, mymerian (“to remember, commemorate”) from Proto-Germanic *mimrōną, *mīmrōną (“to remember, be mindful”), from the same Indo-European source, and is akin to Saterland Frisian miemerje (“to ponder, reflect”), Middle Low German mimeren (“to ponder, meditate”), Middle Dutch mimeren (“to reflect, think to oneself”) (Dutch mijmeren (“to muse, reflect deeply”)), Old English ġemimor (“mindful”), Old Norse Mímir, Mim (“Norse god of memory”), Old English māmrian (“to think out, design”). Related to mourn.
Displaced native Middle English ȝemuneȝen (“to remember”), from Old English ġemynegian (“to remember, remind”); Middle English minnen (“to remember, have in mind”), from Old Norse minna (“to remind”); Middle English munden, ȝemunden (“to bear in mind, remember”), from Old English ġemynd (“memory, remembrance”); Middle English ithenchen, ȝethenchen (“to think on, remember”), from Old English ġeþencan; Middle English manien (“to remind, mention, remember”), from Old English manian (“to admonish, remind, mention”).
Derivatives — words built from “remember”
Phrases & compounds
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “remember” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “remember” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
remember v. t. [OF. remebrer, L. rememorari; pref. re- re- + memorare to bring to remembrance, from memor mindful. See Memory, and cf. Rememorate.]
- To have (a notion or idea) come into the mind again, as previously perceived, known, or felt; to have a renewed apprehension of; to bring to mind again; to think of again; to recollect; as, I remember the fact; he remembers the events of his childhood; I cannot remember dates.
- To be capable of recalling when required; to keep in mind; to be continually aware or thoughtful of; to preserve fresh in the memory; to attend to; to think of with gratitude, affection, respect, or any other emotion.
- To put in mind; to remind; -- also used reflexively and impersonally.
- To mention.
remember v. i.
- To execise or have the power of memory; as, some remember better than others.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
verbMeaning: To recall from one's memory; to have an image in one's memory.
In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road.1852, Mrs M.A. Thompson, “The Tutor's Daughter”, in Graham's American Monthly Magazine of Literature, Art, and Fashion, page 266:
[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”.1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
verbMeaning: To memorize; to put something into memory.
Please remember this formula!
verbMeaning: To keep in mind; to be mindful of.
Remember what I've said.
verbMeaning: To not forget (to do something required)
Remember to lock the door when you go out.
verbMeaning: To convey greetings from.
Please remember me to your brother.
She asks to be remembered to you all.
verbMeaning: To engage in the process of recalling memories.
You don't have to remind him; he remembers very well.
verbMeaning: recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
I can't remember saying any such thing
can you remember her phone number?
verbMeaning: keep in mind for attention or consideration
Remember the Alamo
Remember to call your mother every day!
verbMeaning: recapture the past; indulge in memories
he remembered how he used to pick flowers
verbMeaning: show appreciation to
He remembered her in his will
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
remember
/ɹɪˈmɛm.bə/ · re·mem·ber
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
remember
/ɹɪˈmɛm.bə/ · re·mem·ber · verb
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “remember” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“Please remember this formula!”
Circle the meaning used.
“Remember what I've said.”
Circle the meaning used.
“Remember to lock the door when you go out.”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “remember” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Late Latin rememorari. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — remember
Which meaning, sentence 1: B. To memorize; to put something into memory.
Which meaning, sentence 2: A. To keep in mind; to be mindful of.
Which meaning, sentence 3: A. To not forget (to do something required)
Origin: D. Old French (Old French remembrer)
Journey: English remember ← Middle English remembren ← Old French remembrer ← Late Latin rememorari ← Late Latin re- + memor ← Proto-Indo-European *
Some derivatives: disremember, foreremembered, half-remember, misremember, recomember, rememberability, rememberable, rememberer
Original meaning: Late Latin rememorari — “to remember again”
Etymology: From Middle English remembren, from Old French remembrer (“to remember”), from Late Latin rememorari (“to remember again”), from re- + memor (“mindful”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (“to think about, be mindful, remember”). Cognate with Old English mimorian, mymerian (“to remember, commemorate”), Old English māmorian (“to deliberate, plan out, design”). More at mimmer and mammer. Compare also dialectical English umbethink.
Sources: Wiktionary “remember” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/remember#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/remember