Remembrance is the act of remembering someone or something, especially to honor their memory. When we observe a moment of remembrance for soldiers who died in war, we're deliberately setting aside time to think about their sacrifice. A memorial service is a ceremony of remembrance for someone who has died.

The word carries a sense of respect and purpose, involving intentional and meaningful memory. Remembrance means keeping someone or something significant in your thoughts deliberately. You might wear your grandmother's bracelet in remembrance of her, or a town might plant a tree in remembrance of its founding.

Veterans Day and Memorial Day are days of remembrance when Americans honor those who served in the military. Many countries have similar observances. The poppy flower became a symbol of remembrance after World War I, when poppies grew on the battlefields of Europe.

People also use remembrance to mean a keepsake or memento: a photo or letter kept as a remembrance of a special trip or friendship. When you hold onto something specifically to help you remember, that object becomes a remembrance of that time, place, or person.