What does "memory" mean?
The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later, usually at will.
Memory
/ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later, usually at will.
- Grammar: memory is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: recall, recollection, storage, afterlives.
- Useful contrasts: amnesia, blackouts, blank.
- Usage evidence: Smith has spent years studying the effects of sleep and sleep loss on memory and learning.
How to use "memory"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "memory" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "memory" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "memory" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "memory" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "memory" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "recall" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "memory", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later, usually at will. uncountable
"Memory is a facility common to all animals."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of memory (“pelmanism”). alt-of, uncountable
- 3 an electronic memory device wordnet
- 4 A record of a thing or an event stored and available for later use by the organism. countable, uncountable
"I have no memory of that event."
- 5 the power of retaining and recalling past experience wordnet
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 The part of a computer that stores variable executable code or data (RAM) or unalterable executable code or default data (ROM). countable, uncountable
"This data passes from the CPU to the memory."
- 7 the cognitive processes whereby past experience is remembered wordnet
- 8 The time within which past events can be or are remembered. countable, uncountable
"in recent memory"
- 9 something that is remembered wordnet
- 10 Which returns to its original shape when heated attributive, countable, uncountable
"memory metal"
- 11 the area of cognitive psychology that studies memory processes wordnet
- 12 A memorial. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"These weeds are memories of those worser hours."
- 13 Synonym of pelmanism (“memory card game”). countable, uncountable
"After he saw her a few more times, Mr. Cherkasky asked Ms. Cochrane out on a date in May 2008 to Central Park. He brought along some games to break the ice, and Ms. Cochrane brought cupcakes. They found a quiet place to sit and played Memory and Yahtzee, both of which were new to Ms. Cochrane."
- 14 A term of venery for a social group of elephants, normally called a herd. collective, countable, rare, uncountable
Example
"Smith has spent years studying the effects of sleep and sleep loss on memory and learning."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "memory"?
Common synonyms include: recall, recollection, storage, afterlives, anamnesis, anniversaries.
How do you use "memory" in a sentence?
Smith has spent years studying the effects of sleep and sleep loss on memory and learning.
How do you pronounce "memory"?
Pronounced /ˈmɛm.ə.ɹi/.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman memorie, Old French memoire etc., from Latin memoria (“the faculty of remembering, remembrance, memory, a historical account”), from memor (“mindful, remembering”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (to remember), related to Ancient Greek μνήμη (mnḗmē, “memory”) μέρμερος (mérmeros, “anxious”), μέριμνα (mérimna, “care, thought”), Old English ġemimor (“mindful, remembering”). More at mimmer. Doublet of memoir and memoria. Displaced native Old English ġemynd, which took on a different meaning as modern mind.