reminder

noun

re·​mind·​er ri-ˈmīn-dər 

plural reminders

: one that reminds: such as

a

: something that calls a memory or thought to the mind

a picture that's a reminder of happier times

There were reminders of him everywhere. Whenever she heard music, or when she played the guitar he had given her, Felicity thought of her grandfather's gravelly voice singing along, happily out of tune.

—Valerie Tripp

Now a quarter of mortgaged American homes are underwater, and movie montages about cashmere sheets are an irksome reminder of how we can't afford them.

—Sarah Ball

b

: something (such as a note or notification) designed to prompt or aid the memory

She wrote a reminder about the meeting in her calendar.

I run the risk of missing a reminder because I often silence my phone when I am on the air or recording in the studio.

—Cat Wilson

Synonyms

• commemorative
• keepsake
• memento
• memorial
• monument
• remembrance
• souvenir
• token

Examples of reminder in a Sentence

the peach tree in our front yard is a living reminder of my late grandfather, who owned an orchard

Recent Examples on the Web

The snafu over the OMB memo was a reminder that de-wokeifying the government isn’t a matter of snapping one’s fingers. —Matthew Continetti, National Review, 1 Feb. 2025

Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Groundhog Day can be a reminder of this delicate balance. —Avery Keatley, NPR, 1 Feb. 2025

Kurt’s key takeaway This iOS vulnerability is a serious reminder of the importance of staying up to date with software updates. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2025

Her story is a reminder that sometimes the most powerful innovations come not from market research, but from hearing and responding to the real, human needs that often go unspoken. —William Mullane, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above