remember

English

Alternative forms

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 *mer-, *(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 mammer.

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 Proto-Indo-European source, and is akin to Saterland Frisian mīmerje "to ponder, reflect", Middle Low German mīmeren, mīmern "to ponder, meditate", Middle Dutch mīmeren "to reflect, think to oneself" (Dutch mijmeren (“to muse, reflect deeply”)), Old English mimor (“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”).

Pronunciation
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ɹɪˈmɛmbɚ/
  • (General American) (dialectal) IPA(key): /ˈmɛmbɚ/ (often heard in rapid speech)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɹɪˈmɛmbə/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (UK)(file)
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛmbə(ɹ)
  • Hyphenation: re‧mem‧ber

Verb

remember (third-person singular simple present remembers, present participle remembering, simple past and past participle remembered)

  1. To recall from one's memory; to have an image in one's memory.
    • 1852, Mrs M.A. Thompson, “The Tutor's Daughter”, in Graham's American Monthly Magazine of Literature, Art, and Fashion‎, page 266:
      In the lightness of my heart I sang catches of songs as my horse gayly bore me along the well-remembered road.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 6, in The China Governess‎:
      ‘[…] 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”. […]’.
    • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
      Remember me? I live in your building.
      Audio (US)(file)
  2. To memorize; to put something into memory.
    Please remember this formula!
  3. To keep in mind, be mindful of
    Remember what I've said.
  4. To not forget (to do something required)
    Remember to lock the door when you go out.
  5. To convey greetings from.
    Please remember me to your brother.
  6. (obsolete) To put in mind; to remind (also used reflexively)
    • 1610, The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, act 1 scene 2
      Since thou dost give me pains, / Let me remember thee what thou hast promis'd, / Which is not yet perform'd me.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Chapman
      My friends remembered me of home.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Secret Parting, lines 5-7
      But soon, remembering her how brief the whole
      Of joy, which its own hours annihilate,
      Her set gaze gathered
  7. (intransitive) To engage in the process of recalling memories.
    You don't have to remind him; he remembers very well.

Usage notes
  • In sense 1 this is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing).
  • In sense 3 this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive.
  • See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations
(obsolete) to remind — see remind
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Translations to be checked

See also

Anagrams
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