rə̇ˈmembə(r), rēˈ- verb
( remembered ; remembered ; remembering -b(ə)riŋ ; remembers )
Etymology: Middle English remembren, from Middle French remembrer, from Late Latin rememorari, from re- + memorari to be mindful of, from Latin memor mindful — more at memory
transitive verb
1. : to have (a notion or idea) come into the mind again as previously perceived, known, or felt : have a renewed apprehension of : bring to mind again : think of again
remember events of one's childhood
racked his brain to remember the name
2. archaic
a. : to take thought of
now, I remember me, I'm married — William Congreve
b. : to put in mind : bring to recollect
remembering them the truth of what they themselves know — John Milton
3. : to hold in memory with some feeling or intention : keep the recollection of: as
a. : to keep in mind so as to bestow attention or consideration upon : be continually thoughtful or regardful of
remember one's friends at Christmas
remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy — Exod 20:8 (Revised Standard Version)
b.
(1) : to keep in mind as deserving a reward
(2) : reward
was remembered in the will
4. : to hold or bear in mind : retain in the memory
remember the dates until after the examination
5.
a. : to recall to the mind of another
b. : to convey greetings from
remember me to your father when you get home
6. : mention , record , commemorate
tradition and history have not remembered their names — V.L.Parrington
intransitive verb
1. : to exercise or have the power of memory
some remember better than others
give him time to remember
2. : to have a recollection or remembrance
ask your grandmother about it — she'll remember
— sometimes used with of
you'll find conditions very different to what you remember of — Henry Green
Synonyms:
recollect , recall , remind , reminisce , bethink , mind : remember may indicate an effortless or unwilled permitting of something held in one's memory to occupy one's attention, vividly or not
when people talked about things they could remember Matey always wondered which kind of remembering they meant — the kind that was just a sort of knowing how something in the past had happened or the other kind when suddenly everything seemed to be happening all over again — Dorothy C. Fisher
recollect may differ from remember in involving a bringing back, sometimes with conscious effort, of something of which one has not thought for a time
I can recollect my reply to the postscript, but not the whole letter — W.F.DeMorgan
I had begun by making simple notes after our various conversations on the ship, so that I shouldn't forget details; later, as certain aspects of the thing began to grip me, I had the urge to do more, to fashion the written and recollected fragments into a single narrative — James Hilton
Used of persons, recall may suggest a process whereby the mind is summoned to bring back in toto rather than slowly reassembling — used of things, it indicates evoking or calling forth a memory
“had you any conversation with the prisoner on that passage across the Channel?” “Yes, sir.” “ Recall it.” In the midst of a profound stillness, she faintly began — Charles Dickens
that tree always awakened pleasant memories, recalling a garden in the South of France where he used to visit young cousins — Willa Cather
remind suggests the evoking of something forgotten or hard to think of again, sometimes by way of admonition — when used reflexively of persons it indicates a conscious jogging of memory
the young soldier was reminded by his sister of their childhood hideout — American Guide Series: Louisiana
the drone of the remorse-mongers as they remind him that he is partially to blame — E.M.Forster
might remind ourselves that criticism is as inevitable as breathing — T.S.Eliot
reminisce may imply a casual, unguided, and perhaps nostalgic consideration of the past
cut me short to reminisce of his schoolmates — Hervey Allen
listening to papa reminisce how he had gone around Thanksgiving Day as a boy — Betty Smith
bethink applies to thinking back and recollecting with reflection
he bethought him of certain meals his mother had cooked at home — Stephen Crane
mind , close in meaning and suggestion to recollect , often seems dialectal or quaint in suggestion
I can mind her well as a nursing mother — a comely woman in her day — A.T.Quiller-Couch