Meaning & use
short-term memory
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Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
The part of memory that holds a small amount of information for a brief time, usually seconds to a minute, before it is forgotten or stored more permanently.
Grammar: Uncountable; used with 'the' or without an article: 'Short-term memory is limited.' It can be countable in technical contexts when referring to specific instances, but that is rare.
Patterns
- short-term memory loss
- have a good/bad short-term memory
- short-term memory capacity
After the accident, he had trouble with his short-term memory.
Studying in short bursts can help move information from short-term memory to long-term memory.
The test measures how many items you can hold in short-term memory.
noununcountablecomputing
In computing, a temporary storage area that holds data for quick access while a program is running.
Grammar: Used in technical discussions about computers; often interchangeable with 'RAM' or 'cache'.
Patterns
- short-term memory storage
- use short-term memory
The computer uses short-term memory to store data that is currently in use.
Increasing short-term memory can speed up your system.
Common combinations
- short-term memory loss
- Short-term memory loss is a common symptom of certain illnesses.
- have a short-term memory like a sieve
- I have a short-term memory like a sieve; I forget names immediately.
- short-term memory capacity
- Psychologists study the limits of short-term memory capacity.
Synonyms and how they differ
- working memory
- Working memory is a more technical term that includes both holding and manipulating information; short-term memory often refers just to holding it briefly.
- immediate memory
- Immediate memory is a less common term for the very brief storage of sensory information; short-term memory lasts a bit longer and is more commonly used.
Opposites
Word family
- long-term memory noun
- The part of memory that stores information for a long time.
Commonly confused: short-term memory or long-term memory?
short-term memory vs long-term memory
Long-term memory stores information for days or years, while short-term memory holds it for only seconds or minutes.
Practice
When you look up a phone number and remember it just long enough to dial, you are using your ______.
Choose one answer.
Short-term memory holds small amounts of information for a brief period, such as a phone number you only need for a few seconds. Long-term memory would store it for much longer. 'Muscle memory' refers to learned physical movements, and 'memory lane' is an idiom about remembering the past.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “short-term memory”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.