remembering

The word “remembering” means the act of recalling something to mind. In plain terms, the process of bringing a memory back to mind.

“Remembering” is pronounced rih-MEHMB-rihng (/ɹɪˈmɛmb(ə)ɹɪŋ/ in IPA).

Here is “remembering” used in a sentence: “Remembering the names of everyone at the reunion took some effort.”

“Remembering” is a noun.

“Remembering” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Memorizing is the deliberate act of committing information to memory so you can retrieve it later, such as learning a poem by heart. Remembering is the act of recalling something that is already stored in your mind, so you memorize first and remember afterwards.

Remembering is the general act of bringing any fact or event back to mind. Reminiscing means recalling past experiences at length and usually with fondness or nostalgia, so all reminiscing involves remembering, but not all remembering is reminiscing.

'Remember to do something' refers to a task you must not forget in the future, as in 'remember to lock the door.' 'Remember doing something' refers to recalling an action you already completed in the past, as in 'I remember locking the door.'

The two are close in meaning, but recalling often suggests a more deliberate or effortful search of the memory, while remembering can happen spontaneously. In everyday use they are frequently interchangeable.