Meaning & use
cognitive load
The total amount of mental effort being used in working memory at a given time.
See it in a sentence
Too many on-screen instructions increase cognitive load and slow down learning.
Breaking the lesson into smaller steps reduced cognitive load for beginners.
A note on using this word
A key term in education and design; excessive cognitive load makes new information harder to absorb, even when the content is not inherently difficult.
Words with a similar meaning
This term is best learned through its definition and examples.
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cognitive load”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.