Meaning & use
memorization
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Meanings
noununcountable
The act or process of learning something so well that you can remember it exactly.
Grammar: Uncountable; often followed by 'of': the memorization of vocabulary.
Patterns
- memorization of something
- the memorization of facts
- rote memorization
Memorization of the multiplication tables is still part of the math curriculum.
She spent hours on the memorization of lines for the school play.
Some teachers prefer understanding to pure memorization.
noununcountableformal
The ability to remember things; memory.
Grammar: Less common; refers to the capacity or result of remembering rather than the process.
Patterns
- poor memorization
- good memorization
His memorization of names and faces is impressive.
The test measures both memorization and reasoning.
Common combinations
- rote memorization
- Rote memorization without understanding is soon forgotten.
- memorization technique
- She learned a memorization technique to recall long lists.
- memorization of facts
- The course emphasizes the memorization of facts over analysis.
- memorization skills
- Good memorization skills help in language learning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- learning by heart
- A more everyday phrase; it focuses on the result of knowing something perfectly.
- rote learning
- Often disapproving; it suggests learning by repetition without understanding.
Word family
Commonly confused: memorization or memorisation?
memorization vs memorisation
The British spelling; use it in British English texts.
Practice
The teacher said that ______ of the poem was not enough; we had to understand its meaning.
Choose one answer.
'Memorization' is the uncountable noun needed after 'that' as the subject. 'Memorize' is a verb, 'memorized' is a verb form or adjective, and 'memorizing' is a gerund that would need a different structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “memorization”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.