semantic memory

noun

: long-term memory of facts, information, and meanings that is not related to any specific event personally experienced in the past
Perhaps the most important distinction recently drawn is that between semantic memory (the memory for facts like that the Acropolis is in Athens) and episodic memory (the recall of events—those that happened to you, not those you've been told about).Stuart Sutherland, The New York Times Book Review
compare episodic memory

Dictionary Entries Near semantic memory

Cite this Entry

“Semantic memory.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/semantic%20memory. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!