remembrance

English

Etymology

From Middle English remembraunce, from Old French remembrance, from remembrer (“to remember”), from Late Latin rememorārī (“to call to mind, to remember”). Equivalent to remember +‎ -ance.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɹɪ.ˈmɛm.bɹəns/

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• Hyphenation: re‧mem‧brance

Noun

remembrance (countable and uncountable, plural remembrances)

1. The act of remembering; a holding in mind, or bringing to mind; recollection.
   • 1671 May 29, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added Samson Agonistes, London: Printed by J. M[acock]. for John Starkey at the Mitre in Fleetstreet, near Temple-Bar, →OCLC, pages 59, lines 952–954:

     Dal[ila]. Let me approach at leaſt, and touch thy hand. / Sams[on]. Not for thy life, leſt fierce remembrance wake / my ſudden rage to tear thee joint by joint.

   • 1705, Joseph Addison, “Bolonia, Modena, Parma, Turin, &c.”, in Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, OCLC 181833922; republished The Hague: Printed for Henry Scheurleer, 1718, OCLC 224641578, page 292:

     For Titan, by the mightly Loſs diſmay'd, / Among the Heav'ns th'Immortal Fact diſplay'd, / Leſt the remembrance of his Grief ſhould fail, / And in Conſtellations wrote his Tale.

2. The state of being remembered, or held in mind; memory, recollection.
   • 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies, London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, act IV, scene v, page 274:

     There's Roſemary, that's for Remembraunce. / Pray loue remember: and there is Paconcies, that's for Thoughts.

   • 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which is to Come: Delivered under the Similitude of a Dream wherein is Discovered, the Manner of His Setting Out, His Dangerous Journey; and Safe Arrival at the Desired Countrey, London: Printed for Nath Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultrey near Cornhill, OCLC 733063856; republished as The Pilgrim's Progress as Originally Published by John Bunyan: Being a Fac-simile Reproduction of the First Edition, London: Elliot Stock, 1875, OCLC 34741916, page 77:

     Yes, and did ſee ſuch things there, the remembrance of which will ſtick by me as long as I live; ſpecially three things, to wit, How Chriſt, in deſpite of Satan, maintains his work of Grace in the heart; how the Man had ſinned himſelf quite out of hopes of Gods mercy; and alſo the Dream of him that thought in his ſleep the day of Judgement was come.

   • 1725–1726, Homer; Alexander Pope and William Broome, transl., The Odyssey of Homer. Translated from the Greek, London: Printed for Bernard Lintot, OCLC 8736646; republished as H F Cary, editor, The Odyssey of Homer: Translated by Alexander Pope, London: George Routledge and Sons, the Broadway, Ludgate; New York, N.Y.: 416, Broome Street, 1872, OCLC 880970094, book VIII, page 381:

     Nausicaa blooming as a goddess stands, / With wondering eyes the hero [Odysseus] she survey'd / And grateful thus began the royal maid: / 'Hail, godlike stranger! and when heaven restores / To thy fond wish thy long-expected shores, / This, ever grateful, in remembrance bear, / To me thou owest, to me, the vital air.'

   • 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter XVI, in Pride and Prejudice: , volume III, London: for T Egerton, , →OCLC, page 279:

     The letter, perhaps, began in bitterness, but it did not end so. The adieu is charity itself. But think no more of the letter. The feelings of the person who wrote, and the person who received it, are now so widely different from what they were then, that every unpleasant circumstance attending it ought to be forgotten. You must learn some of my philosophy. Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.

3. Something remembered; a person or thing kept in memory.
4. That which serves to keep in or bring to mind; a memento, a memorial, a souvenir, a token; a memorandum or note of something to be remembered.
   • 1589–1593, William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies, London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, act II, scene ii, page 24:

     If you turne not: you will returne the ſooner: / Keep this remembrance for thy Iulia’s sake.

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Qveene. Disposed into Twelue Books, Fashioning XII. Morall Vertues, London: Printed for W Ponsonbie, OCLC 18024649, book I, canto I, stanzas I and II; republished in John Hughes, editor, The Works of Mr. Edmund Spenser. In Six Volumes. With a Glossary Explaining the Old and Obscure Words, volume I, London: Printed for Jacob Tonson at Shakespear's Head, over against Catherine-street in the Strand, 1715, OCLC 175074, page 23:

     A Gentle Knight was pricking on the Plain, / Yclad in mightie Arms and ſilver Shield, / And on his Breaſt a bloody Croſs he bore, / The dear remembrance of his dying Lord, / For whoſe ſweet ſake that glorious Badge he wore, / And dead (as living) ever him ador'd:

5. The power of remembering; the reach of personal knowledge; the period over which one's memory extends.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC, lines 203–205:

     Thee I have heard relating what was done / Ere my remembrance; now hear me relate / My ſtory, which perhaps thou haſt not heard; […]

6. (obsolete) Something to be remembered; an admonition, counsel, instruction.

Synonyms

• recollection
• reminiscence

Derived terms

• remembrancer, Remembrancer
• Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday

Translations

Verb

remembrance (third-person singular simple present remembrances, present participle remembrancing, simple past and past participle remembranced)

1. To remember; to recall to mind.

See also

• memory

Old French

Noun

remembrance oblique singular, f (oblique plural remembrances, nominative singular remembrance, nominative plural remembrances)

1. recollection; memory

Descendants

• → English: remembrance
• French: remembrance