DictionaryAI

remember

verb
ri-MEM-bur/ɹɪˈmɛmbɚ/ri-MEM-buh/ɹɪˈmɛmbə/

Formsremembers, remembering, remembered

Often confused with remind

8 meanings of remember

Practice

  1. 1
    verbtransitive
    To recall something or someone from the past, or to call past scenes and events to mind; to have an image or impression of them held in your memory.

    I still remember the smell of my grandmother's kitchen on baking day.

    She remembered the exact words he had spoken that evening.

    UsageA scene often follows as noun + -ing: I remember her singing. Someone else reminds you of things.

    Similarrecall, recollect

    Oppositeforget

  2. 2
    be mindfulverbtransitive
    To keep something in mind; to stay mindful of it as you act or decide.

    Remember that your words can affect other people more deeply than you think.

    He remembered the importance of staying calm under pressure.

    UsageOften followed by a that clause: remember that words can hurt.

    Similarmind

    Oppositeforget

  3. 3
    not forget (task)verbtransitive
    To keep a required task in mind so that you do not fail to carry it out.

    Remember to bring your passport to the airport tomorrow.

    She always remembers to water the plants before leaving for work.

    UsageRemember to + verb is for a task still ahead; remember + -ing looks back: I remember locking it.

    Oppositeforget, neglect

  4. 4
    honor (ceremony)verbtransitive
    To honor the memory of a person or event, often through a formal ceremony of remembrance.

    On this day we remember those who lost their lives in service.

    The nation remembered its veterans with a minute of silence.

    Similarcommemorate, honor, memorialize

  5. 5
    memorizeverbtransitive
    To commit something to memory; to fix it in your mind so it can be recalled later.

    Actors must remember pages of dialogue for each scene.

    She remembered the whole poem after reading it through twice.

    Similarmemorize, retain

    Oppositeforget

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    pass on greetingsverbtransitive
    To convey one person's greetings or good wishes to another on their behalf.

    Remember me to your sister when you next write to her.

    He remembered us warmly to his old colleagues at the firm.

    UsageFixed shape: remember me to someone, meaning give them my greetings.

    Note

    The formula is old. In Fletcher and Shakespeare's The Two Noble Kinsmen, written and first staged about 1613–1614, Emilia says 'Remember me To our all royall Brother.'

  2. 7
    verbobsolete
    To put someone in mind of something; to remind a person, and sometimes oneself, of a matter.
    My friends remember'd me of home.
    1614, Homer, Homer’s Odysses
    But soon, remembering her how brief the whole Of joy, which its own hours annihilate, Her set gaze gathered
    1870, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Secret Parting
    Note

    An obsolete causative use whose work is now done entirely by remind. Shakespeare's The Tempest has 'Let me remember thee what thou hast promis'd', and Chapman's Homer has 'My friends remember'd me of home.' Rossetti still uses it in 1870.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

    • Remember historically meant remind and could be used reflexively. en.wiktionary.org
    • Shakespeare's The Tempest contains the quotation, spoken by Ariel. folger.edu
    • Chapman's translation of Homer's Odyssey contains the quotation, illustrating the of construction. beta.perseus.tufts.edu
    • Dante Gabriel Rossetti uses the causative sense in a work published in 1870. rossettiarchive.org
  3. 8
    give a tipverbtransitive
    To give a person money as a token of thanks for past service or for friendship.

    He remembered the waiters generously before leaving the hotel.

    Few employers remember a driver in their will, but the old banker left his a sizable sum.

    UsageA will is the usual frame: she remembered me in her will.

    Similartip, reward

    Note

    Money is understood rather than said, so the sentence has to supply the setting. A will is the classic frame: my aunt remembered me in her will. Seasonal gifts are the other. Little Visits 365 Family Devotions notes that waitresses, mail carriers and teachers were often remembered on Boxing Day. Without such a frame, the verb is read as calling something to mind.

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English remembren, from Old French remembrer, from Late Latin rememorari ('to remember again'), formed from re- plus memor ('mindful'). This traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to think about, be mindful, remember', and the French word's success was helped by a similar-sounding Germanic word already in English.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 7 facts