remembrance
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of remembering a person or event, often to show respect.
the act of remembering or the state of being remembered, particularly in a collective or commemorative sense.
Simple“The statue was built in remembrance of the soldiers who died in the war.”
In context“The annual service of remembrance provides a space for the community to honour those who lost their lives during the conflict.”
UsageOften follows the preposition 'in' as in 'in remembrance of'.
SynonymsAntonymsforgetfulnessoblivion - 02 C1 Advanced
a specific memory of someone or something, or an object that helps you remember them.
a specific recollection or a physical token serving as a memento.
Simple“She kept the old photograph as a remembrance of her childhood home.”
In context“He cherished every small remembrance of their time together, from old ticket stubs to faded postcards.”
Teacher's tipIn modern English, 'souvenir' or 'memento' is much more common for physical objects; 'remembrance' in this sense feels quite old-fashioned or poetic.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
the length of time that you can remember things.
the reach or period of time covered by one's memory.
Simple“There has not been a storm this strong in living remembrance.”
In context“The elders claimed that no such drought had occurred within the remembrance of any man living in the village.”
Teacher's tipModern speakers almost always use 'living memory' instead of 'living remembrance'.
Synonyms
“Dressed in their uniforms and carrying equipment, they climbed 110 floors up and down the Galfa Tower, in remembrance of the number of storeys on each of the Twin Towers.”
“Critics immediately let it be known that their moment of joy was out of line at the solemn remembrance.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.