Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

reminisce about, of, on, with or among?

Reminisce is most commonly followed by about when talking about memories. Reminisce on is also used, especially in formal writing. With usually introduces the person you share memories with, not the topic. Of and among are generally not standard after reminisce.

Quick answer

Which prepositions go with reminisce?

Use reminisce about something in most situations. Reminisce on something is also acceptable, especially in reflective or formal contexts. Use reminisce with someone to show who is sharing the memories. Reminisce of and reminisce among are not standard combinations.

They often reminisce about their school days.
The writer reminisced on his childhood in the interview.
We reminisced with old friends after the reunion.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
reminisce about + memory/topic

Talking about past experiences

Use about to introduce the memory, period, or experience being remembered.

She loves to reminisce about her first job.
The family reminisced about past holidays over dinner.
2
reminisce on + memory/topic

Reflecting in a formal or thoughtful style

On is a more formal or literary alternative to about.

In his speech, he reminisced on the early years of the company.
The article reminisced on life in the village decades ago.
3
reminisce with + person

Saying who shares the memories

With introduces the person you are remembering things together with. The topic may appear separately.

I reminisced with my grandfather about his travels.
They reminisced with former classmates after the ceremony.
4
reminisce among + group

Using among as a separate place or group adjunct

Among is not normally selected by reminisce. It can appear separately to describe the group where the reminiscing happens.

Old stories were shared as they reminisced among friends late into the night.
The veterans reminisced among themselves after the parade.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
reminisce about
They reminisced about university life.
Standard and most common way to mention the topic of memories.
reminisce on
She reminisced on her years abroad.
Standard but more formal or reflective than about.
reminisce with
He reminisced with his brother after dinner.
Introduces the person sharing the memories, not the memory itself.
reminisce of
Not standard in current English: They reminisced of childhood.
Usually avoided. Use reminisce about or reminisce on instead.
reminisce among
They reminisced among old friends.
Among describes the surrounding group, not the object of reminisce.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using of after reminisce

Of is generally not used directly after reminisce to introduce the memory.

✕ She reminisced of her school years. ✓ She reminisced about her school years.

Using with for the memory topic

With usually introduces the person you reminisce together with.

✕ They reminisced with their childhood. ✓ They reminisced about their childhood.

Treating among as the main complement

Among can describe the group setting, but it does not replace about for the topic.

✕ He reminisced among his early career. ✓ He reminisced about his early career.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. We spent the evening reminiscing ___ our time abroad.
2. The retired actor reminisced ___ his former co-stars after the ceremony.
3. In her memoir, she reminisces ___ life before the war.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is reminisce about correct?

Yes. Reminisce about is the most natural and widely used pattern for talking about memories or past experiences.

Can I say reminisce on?

Yes. Reminisce on is standard English and often sounds slightly more formal or reflective than reminisce about.

Is reminisce of grammatical?

It is generally considered nonstandard in current English. Use reminisce about or reminisce on instead.

radiate-from-into-around-to, with "raise in" or "raise by"? rake in, through, across, at or over? rally in, around, to, behind or on? "rape by" or "rape in"? ratify by, in, on, according or as? ravage by, from, on, through or with? rave about, at, from, to or before? reach for, by, at, to or into? react to, with, in, by or like? read about, in, on, through or for? "realize in", "realize at" or "realize by"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account