remember

The word “remember” means to bring something back to mind from memory. In plain terms, keeping something in your memory, or bringing it back to mind.

“Remember” is pronounced rih-MEHM-buh (/ɹɪˈmɛmbɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “remember” used in a sentence: “I still remember my first day at school.”

Words with a similar meaning to “remember” include recall, reminisce, retrieve, bear in mind, bethink and keep in mind.

The opposite of “remember” — its antonyms — are remind, forget and shut the door on.

“Remember” is a verb.

The word “remember” comes from Late Latin. From Old French remembrer, from Late Latin rememorari — re- + memor ("mindful").

“Remember” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

You "remember" something yourself, bringing it back to mind from your own memory, as in "I remember her name." Something or someone "reminds" you, causing you to remember, as in "she reminded me of the meeting." So remembering is what your own mind does, while reminding is the outside nudge that triggers it.

The opposite is "forget," to fail to bring something back to mind, or to lose it from memory. Where remembering keeps information available, forgetting lets it slip away. Related ideas include "overlook" and "blank on," but "forget" is the direct, everyday opposite of "remember."

The two are close and often interchangeable. "Remember" is the everyday word for bringing something back to mind. "Recall" is slightly more formal and often suggests a deliberate effort to retrieve a specific detail, as in "I can't recall his exact words." You remember a happy childhood; you recall a particular fact on demand.