memory

1
as in recollection
the power or process of recalling what has been previously learned or experienced a photographic memory makes taking tests entirely too easy

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2
as in memorial
a particular act or instance of recalling or the thing remembered I have only the vaguest memory of the family vacation we took the year I turned three

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word memory distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of memory are recollection, remembrance, and reminiscence. While all these words mean "the capacity for or the act of remembering, or the thing remembered," memory applies both to the power of remembering and to what is remembered.

gifted with a remarkable memory
that incident was now just a distant memory

When is it sensible to use recollection instead of memory?

While the synonyms recollection and memory are close in meaning, recollection adds an implication of consciously bringing back to mind often with some effort.

after a moment's recollection he produced the name

When is remembrance a more appropriate choice than memory?

The words remembrance and memory are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, remembrance applies to the act of remembering or the fact of being remembered.

any remembrance of his deceased wife was painful

When might reminiscence be a better fit than memory?

The words reminiscence and memory can be used in similar contexts, but reminiscence suggests the recalling of usually pleasant incidents, experiences, or feelings from a remote past.

my grandmother's reminiscences of her Iowa girlhood

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of memory In Brighter Days Ahead, Grande is now an elderly woman, visiting the same clinic to try its new procedure, memory restoration. Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2025 Brighter Days Ahead offers five new songs continuing the Eternal Sunshine narrative, still haunted by the same memories. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025 Mike Wolfe is keeping the memory of his late co-star and dear friend Frank Fritz alive. Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025 The tags pointed to a publicly available file that copies the internal memory of severs running it, searches for credentials, and writes them to a log. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for memory

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Cite this Entry

“Memory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/memory. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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