long-term memory

noun

Definition of long-term memory

: memory that involves the storage and recall of information over a long period of time (such as days, weeks, or years) In animal experiments and autopsies of human brains, researchers have found that the hippocampal formation—an inner-brain region consisting of the hippocampus and several other related structures—is critical for the formation of long-term memory. — Science News —abbreviation LTM — compare short-term memory, working memory

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This is also when long-term memory becomes more compromised, so a person with this level of Alzheimer’s may begin to forget who their loved ones are or get them confused with each other. — Korin Miller, SELF, "10 Facts About Alzheimer's Disease You Should Know," 28 Sep. 2018 Defense attorneys argued that Majors showed signs of dementia and had problems with his long-term memory, but a mental competency examination showed Majors was able to stand trial. — Adam Kealoha Causey, Fox News, "Oklahoma man convicted in hate-crime killing dies in prison," 13 Sep. 2018 Will this crystallized moment be sent down the pipe to long-term memory? — Leslie Kendall Dye, Longreads, "City on a Hill," 23 June 2018 They have been shown to be involved in long-term memory in snails, mice and rats, through their ability to influence chemical tags on DNA. — Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, "Scientists Made Snails Remember Something That Never Happened to Them," 15 May 2018 Under this procedure, a patient's brain is cooled to as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, which causes electrical activity in neurons to stop—suggesting that long-term memories are stored statically. — Michael Shermer, Scientific American, "Why the “You” in an Afterlife Wouldn't Really Be You," 1 July 2017 Farrell’s short-term memory was sharper than Maddon’s long-term memory. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Luke Farrell earns redemption in Cubs' 14-inning win against Mets," 3 June 2018 Emotionally charged experiences, particularly those linked to fear, activate parts of the brain responsible for long-term memory. — Alison Murphy, WSJ, "Summer Reads for Perfectionists," 31 May 2018 David Glanzman, a professor of neurobiology at U.C.L.A. who is an author of the new paper, has been studying Aplysia californica, a sea snail, and its ability to make long-term memories for years. — Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, "Scientists Made Snails Remember Something That Never Happened to Them," 15 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'long-term memory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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7 Dec 2018

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The first known use of long-term memory was in 1940

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long-term memory

noun

Medical Definition of long-term memory

: memory that involves the storage and recall of information over a long period of time (as days, weeks, or years) A short-term memory's conversion to a long-term memory requires changes within the brain that protect the memory from interference from competing stimuli or disruption from injury or disease.— Alison Preston, Scientific American, December 2007 But the mystery remains: how do cells in the cortex physically lay down long-term memories?— Sandra Blakeslee, The New York Times, 14 Nov. 2000 —abbreviation LTM — compare short-term memory