What does memorizing mean?
Memorizing means learning something and keeping it in memory, normally through focused attention, study, or repetition. It is especially common in educational and practical contexts involving vocabulary, dates, formulae, quotations, lines, and other information that must be recalled accurately. Unlike simply remembering something, memorizing implies a deliberate process of committing information to memory. The term can occasionally suggest rote learning without understanding, although that negative connotation is not present in every use. In British English the verb is usually written “memorise,” while American English normally uses “memorize.” Memorizing is also related to the broader family of words built from Latin memoria, including memory, memorable, memorial, and memoir. For most learners, the central distinction is that remembering is the act of recalling something, while memorizing is the act of learning and retaining it.
verbTo learn something and retain it in memory, especially by deliberately studying or repeating it.
- To learn and retain information in memory, especially through deliberate study or repetition.
"She memorized the passage before giving her presentation."
"He memorized the irregular verbs before the quiz."
"The actor memorized the lines during the train journey."
The word shares its Latin root with memory, memorial, and memoir: all preserve the idea of keeping something in the mind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does memorizing come from?
Memorizing comes from memorize, which was formed in the 19th century from the Latin memoria, meaning “memory” or “remembrance.” The Latin verb memorare meant “to call to mind” or “to remember,” and it developed through French into English forms such as memory, memorable, and memorial. The related word memoir entered English from French and likewise originally referred to something written to preserve a memory.
Related word forms
How memorizing is actually used
The British spelling is usually “memorise,” while the American spelling is usually “memorize.” The word suggests active learning and retention; it is often used for facts, vocabulary, quotations, and passages rather than for people or experiences.
Easily confused with memorizing
Memorizing emphasizes deliberately learning and retaining something through study or repetition, whereas remembering can simply mean recalling something already known.