memory

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   The ability of the mind to hold on to facts, events and experiences and bring them back later.

   Grammar: Often uncountable for the ability (she has a good memory) but countable for what is remembered.

   Patterns

   • a good memory for something
   • from memory

   She has a great memory for names and faces.

   His memory is not what it used to be.

   I recited the poem from memory.

2. 2nouncountable

   Something you remember from the past, such as an event or feeling.

   Grammar: Often followed by of: a memory of summer.

   Patterns

   • a memory of something
   • fond memories

   My earliest memory is of a yellow kitchen.

   They shared happy memories of their childhood.

   The smell brought back a memory of the sea.

3. 3noununcountablecomputing

   The part of a computer or device where data and programs are held.

   Grammar: Often used with words like low, full or enough.

   Patterns

   • run out of memory
   • memory card

   My phone is running out of memory.

   The laptop has sixteen gigabytes of memory.

   The game uses too much memory to run smoothly.

4. 4nounsingularformal

   The state of being remembered after someone has died or an event has passed.

   Grammar: Used with in: in memory of someone.

   Patterns

   • in memory of someone
   • the memory of someone

   They planted a tree in memory of their friend.

   The town honors the memory of the soldiers.

   The song keeps her memory alive.

Word forms

Common combinations

good memory

He has a good memory for dates.

from memory

She drew the map from memory.

fond memory

I have a fond memory of those summers.

short-term memory

Lack of sleep harms short-term memory.

in memory of

The race was held in memory of a coach.

jog someone's memory

The photo jogged his memory.

Synonyms and how they differ

recollection

Recollection is a more formal word for one specific remembered thing, not the general ability.

remembrance

Remembrance is about honoring the past, as at a ceremony, and is more formal than memory.

recall

Recall is the act or power of bringing something back to mind, and is narrower than memory.

reminiscence

Reminiscence is a pleasant story of past events, usually told aloud.

Opposites

Word family

memorize verb

to learn by heart

memorable adjective

worth remembering

memorial noun

something that honors a person or event

memorabilia noun

objects kept for their connection to a memory

commemorate verb

to honor in memory

Commonly confused: memory or memoir?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “memory”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words