What does memory mean?
Memory is the capacity of the mind to retain information and experiences, bring them back into awareness, and connect them with present experience. It can also mean a particular recollection or impression, as in a cherished childhood memory. In computing, the word refers to the storage and retrieval of data, often in categories such as short-term and long-term memory. The word commonly appears in expressions about remembering and forgetting, including memory loss, memory lane, and in memory of, which introduces a tribute to someone who has died. Memory is not simply a perfect recording of the past: remembering often involves reconstructing an experience from partial clues, and the resulting recollection may differ slightly from the original event. This makes memory both a familiar subject in everyday speech and a central concern in psychology, history, literature, and computer science.
The mental capacity to retain and recall information and experiences; an individual recollection or impression; or, by extension, the stored information and awareness associated with a person, event, or system.
"The photograph brought back memories of her grandmother."
Memory as a general mental faculty is usually uncountable, while an individual recollection is countable. Technical uses, such as computer memory, are common in both formal and informal contexts.
To remember; to preserve in remembrance.
"Memory him in your thoughts."
This verb is archaic or literary and survives mainly in formulaic expressions.
The standard plural is “memories,” used for individual recollections or impressions: “She has vivid memories of school.”
"He shared memories of the old house with us."
Remembering is less like replaying a tape than rebuilding a scene from clues: each act of recall can partly reconstruct the past.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does memory come from?
The English word memory comes through Old French memorie from Latin memoria, meaning “remembrance” or “memory.” Latin memoria was formed from memor, meaning “mindful” or “remembering.” The same root appears in cognates such as memorable, memorial, memento, and remember.
Related word forms
How memory is actually used
When referring to the general mental faculty, memory is usually uncountable: “a good memory,” “in memory,” and “from memory.” A single recollection is countable: “a vivid memory” and “memories of childhood.” As a verb, memory is archaic or literary and is chiefly used in expressions such as “God memory him.”
Easily confused with memory
Memory is the capacity or recollection itself, whereas a memorial is an object, ceremony, or monument that commemorates someone or something.
A memory is a mental recollection or retained impression, whereas a memento is an external object or keepsake that prompts remembrance.