eidetic

adjective

ei·det·ic ī-ˈde-tik

: marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images

an eidetic memory

eidetically

ī-ˈde-ti-k(ə-)lē

adverb

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Eidetic is the technical adjective used to describe what we more commonly call a photographic memory. The word ultimately derives from the Greek noun eidos, meaning "form." The ability of certain individuals to recall images, sounds, or events with uncanny accuracy is a subject of fascination for researchers in the field of psychology. Among notable people who were reputed to have eidetic memories is the late television comic Jackie Gleason, who reportedly was able to memorize an entire half-hour script in a single read-through.

Examples of eidetic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But the spotlight naturally pulls back to Beck, whose eidetic memory for faces, locations and even a stray box of thallium salts at the crime scene suggests a level of expertise honed in places far beyond Lincoln County. —

Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2023 Overall, people tend to use the terms photographic memory and eidetic memory interchangeably. —

Kelly Santana Banks, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2023 So far, there is no evidence eidetic memory occurs in adults. —

Kelly Santana Banks, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2023 Eidetic Memory Also known as photographic memory, eidetic memory is the ability to recall a visual image in near perfect detail. —

Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2022 Others have benefited from the club’s eidetic memory. —

New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022 Abrams also graduated from Yale Law and has an excellent memory, though not an eidetic one. —

Washington Post, 6 May 2021 Olson contends that Audubon had an eidetic memory—commonly called photographic memory—because the sometimes astounding positions of his birds have been verified by contemporary videos and photographs captured via telephoto lenses. —

Marissa Fessenden, Scientific American, 17 May 2013 And so, now, all he is left with are his memories: vivid and bright and 98 percent eidetic, and not just for score lines but for sensations, too. —

Rory Smith, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eidetic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.