remember

IPA/rɪˈmembə(r)/
KK[rɪmˈɛmbɚ]IPA/rɪˈmembər/

remember — verb

  • rememberpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • remembershe / she / it
  • rememberedpast simple
  • remembering-ing form

1. to pull back into your thoughts a fact, event, or detail that you knew before —

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

to pull back into your thoughts a fact, event, or detail that you knew before — such as a phone number, a person’s name, or what happened on a certain day.

Example

Kenji suddenly remembered that he had left his laptop on the train.

remember + that-clause

Do you remember the address of that little bakery in Kyoto?

remember + noun phrase (question)

Common collocations
  • clearly remember
  • vaguely remember
  • correctly remember
  • distinctly remember
  • remember + that-clause
  • remember + wh-clause
  • remember + -ing
Synonyms
  • recall

    more formal; often used in written contexts such as reports or legal documents

  • recollect

    suggests a deliberate effort to bring something back to mind

Antonyms
  • forget

    the opposite mental process: to lose information from memory

Grammar Patterns

remember + noun/pronoun

remember + that-clause

remember + wh-clause

remember + -ing form

Common Mistakes

I remembered to lock the door' (when meaning I recall locking it).
I remember locking the door.
'remember + -ing' describes recalling a past action, while 'remember + to' means not forgetting a future task.

2. to not fail to do something that you intend or are supposed to do.

2.verbtransitiveA2
Definition

to not fail to do something that you intend or are supposed to do.

Example

Please remember to turn off the lights before you leave the office.

imperative: remember + to-infinitive

Lien remembered to call her mother on the way to the station.

past tense: remembered + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • remember to + infinitive
  • always remember to
  • please remember to
Antonyms
  • forget

    to fail to do something you intended

  • neglect

    more formal; suggests carelessness

Grammar Patterns

remember + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: 'remember to do' refers to a future action you must not skip, while 'remember doing' recalls a past event. 'I remembered to buy milk' means you bought it as planned; 'I remember buying milk' means you can picture the purchase happening.

Common Mistakes

Remember locking the door before leaving.' (when giving an instruction).
Remember to lock the door before leaving.
use 'remember + to-infinitive' for instructions about future tasks, not 'remember + -ing'.

3. to be known or famous for something you did or a quality you had, so that people

3.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to be known or famous for something you did or a quality you had, so that people continue to think of you after that time.

Example

Dr. Okonkwo will be remembered for his free medical clinics in rural areas.

passive: be remembered for [achievement]

Esteban is remembered as one of the finest architects of his generation.

passive: be remembered as [role]

Common collocations
  • be remembered for + noun/-ing
  • be remembered as + noun
  • be remembered fondly
  • be remembered well
  • most remembered for
Synonyms
  • commemorate

    more formal and public; often used for official ceremonies or monuments

  • be famous for

    focuses on current fame rather than posthumous memory

Grammar Patterns

be remembered for + noun/-ing

be remembered as + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used in the passive voice. The subject can be a person, a personal quality, or a specific achievement. The active form ('People remember him for...') exists but is noticeably less common.

4. used when telling someone about something they already know but may have tempora

4.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

used when telling someone about something they already know but may have temporarily forgotten — often in the form of a polite reminder in conversation.

Example

Remember, Sana, the train leaves at six in the morning, not in the evening.

imperative with direct address

But remember that the store closes early on Sundays in this town.

remember + that-clause as reminder

Common collocations
  • remember + that-clause (reminder)
  • just remember
  • remember now
  • and remember

Grammar Patterns

remember + that-clause (conversational imperative)

Usage Note

Only used in the imperative form or as part of a conversational that-clause. The listener already knows the information; the speaker is simply helping them keep it in mind. This sense is distinct from sense 1, where the listener is genuinely being told something new.

5. to keep the memory of an important occasion or a deceased person alive through f

5.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to keep the memory of an important occasion or a deceased person alive through formal ceremonies, permanent markers, or annual customs.

Example

The town holds a ceremony each spring to remember those lost at sea.

remember in ceremonial context

Students planted a garden near the school to remember the children lost in the fire.

passive: was planted to remember

Common collocations
  • remember the dead
  • remember in a ceremony
  • remember with a moment of silence
  • remember the victims
Synonyms
  • commemorate

    more specific: always involves a formal or public act; 'remember' in this sense is slightly softer

  • honour

    broader scope — can also apply to living people and current achievements

Grammar Patterns

remember + noun (ceremonial context)

6. to show affection or gratitude by leaving money, a gift, or a reward for someone

6.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to show affection or gratitude by leaving money, a gift, or a reward for someone — often arranged through a will, a tip, or a planned donation.

Example

Aunt Tamar remembered all her nieces and nephews in her will.

remembered in + [legal document]

The tourists remembered their driver with a generous tip at the end of the trip.

remembered with + [gift]

Common collocations
  • remember in one’s will
  • remember with a tip
  • remember in an estate
Synonyms
  • reward

    implies payment for a service rather than affection

  • bequeath

    strictly legal: only applies to property left in a will

Grammar Patterns

remember + person + in + legal document

remember + person + with + gift

7. to ask someone to pass along your good wishes or friendly greetings to another p

7.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to ask someone to pass along your good wishes or friendly greetings to another person.

Example

Please remember me to your parents when you speak with them tonight.

imperative: remember me to + person

Christopher asked me to remember him to everyone in the sales team.

ask + object + to remember + object + to + person

Common collocations
  • remember me to
  • remember him to
  • remember us to

Grammar Patterns

remember + object + to + person

Usage Note

This structure is fixed: 'remember + object (me/him/her/us/them) + to + person'. It can also be expressed as 'send my regards to' or 'give my love to'. More common in British English than American English.

Common Mistakes

Please remember to me your mother' (wrong word order).
Please remember me to your mother.
the object of the greeting (me/him/her) comes before 'to'.
Phrasal verbs

remember me to

phrasal verb

To ask someone to give your greetings to another person.

Remember me to your parents when you see them tonight.

Please remember me to Sara if you call her later.

Idioms

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three verbs relate to bringing something to mind, but they differ in grammar and register. 'Remember' is the everyday word: you remember a birthday, a name, or a fact with no special effort. 'Recall' is more formal and often implies a deliberate search of memory, as in 'The witness recalled the details of the accident.' 'Recollect' suggests an even more focused, step-by-step effort to retrieve information, and it sounds quite formal or literary in modern English. 'Remind' is structurally different: someone or something reminds you of something ('That song reminds me of summer'), so the trigger is external, not internal. In daily conversation, 'remember' is almost always the right choice; 'recall' fits written reports and formal speech; 'recollect' appears mainly in careful writing and set phrases ('as I recollect').

recall ↗recollectremind ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • as far as I remember
  • if I remember correctly
  • I don’t remember
  • try to remember
  • hard to remember
  • easy to remember

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'remember' entered Middle English from Old French 'remembrer', which came from the Latin 'rememorari' — a combination of 're-' (again) and 'memorari' (to be mindful of), based on 'memor' (mindful). The core idea has always been about bringing something back to the mind or keeping it there. Related Latin roots also gave English 'memory', 'memorial', and 'memoir'.