Did You Know?
The word mnemonic derives from Greek mnēmōn ("mindful"), which itself comes from the Greek word meaning "to remember." (In classical mythology, Mnemosyne, the mother of the Muses, is the goddess of memory.) As with many classical borrowings, we retained the double initial consonant, but not the pronunciation of both, since the combination doesn't occur naturally in English. ("Pneumonia" is a similar case.) "Mnemonic" can also be a noun meaning "a mnemonic device." If the spelling of this word strikes you as particularly fiendish to remember, try this mnemonic to get you started on the right track: keep in mind that although the pronunciation begins with an "n" sound, the spelling begins with an "m," as in "memory."
Origin of mnemonic
Greek mnēmonikos, from mnēmōn mindful, from mimnēskesthai to remember — more at mind
First Known Use: 1672
Other Psychology Terms
Rhymes with mnemonic
Aaronic, atonic, benthonic, bionic, boronic, Brittonic, Brythonic, bubonic, Byronic, canonic, carbonic, colonic, cyclonic, daimonic, demonic, draconic, dystonic, euphonic, hadronic, harmonic, hedonic, hydronic, iconic, ionic, Ionic, laconic, Masonic, moronic, neutronic, photonic, phytonic, planktonic, platonic, plutonic, pneumonic, pythonic, sardonic, sermonic, Slavonic, subsonic, symphonic, synchronic, tectonic, Teutonic, transonic
mnemonic
Simple Definition of mnemonic
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: something (such as a word, a sentence, or a song) that helps people remember something (such as a rule or a list of names)
Full Definition of mnemonic
: a mnemonic device or code
Examples of mnemonic in a sentence
HOMES is used as a mnemonic for the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
1842
First Known Use of mnemonic
1842
Other Psychology Terms
Learn More about mnemonic
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Medical Dictionary: Definition of "mnemonic" Spanish Central: Translation of "mnemonic" Nglish: Translation of "mnemonic" for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "mnemonic"
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