memory

1
as in recollection
the power or process of recalling what has been previously learned or experienced a photographic memory makes taking tests entirely too easy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in memorial
a particular act or instance of recalling or the thing remembered I have only the vaguest memory of the family vacation we took the year I turned three

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word memory distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of memory are recollection, remembrance, and reminiscence. While all these words mean "the capacity for or the act of remembering, or the thing remembered," memory applies both to the power of remembering and to what is remembered.

gifted with a remarkable memory
that incident was now just a distant memory

When is it sensible to use recollection instead of memory?

While the synonyms recollection and memory are close in meaning, recollection adds an implication of consciously bringing back to mind often with some effort.

after a moment's recollection he produced the name

When is remembrance a more appropriate choice than memory?

The words remembrance and memory are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, remembrance applies to the act of remembering or the fact of being remembered.

any remembrance of his deceased wife was painful

When might reminiscence be a better fit than memory?

The words reminiscence and memory can be used in similar contexts, but reminiscence suggests the recalling of usually pleasant incidents, experiences, or feelings from a remote past.

my grandmother's reminiscences of her Iowa girlhood

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of memory Other main themes that guests can find in Guidi’s work are the relationship between space and light, between the solidity of architecture and the fleeting nature of the instant, between urban space and individual perception, between material traces and memory. Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 20 June 2025 This is one of the weakest Finnish draft classes in recent memory. Corey Pronman, New York Times, 19 June 2025 Miller now runs her own dog-grooming business in New Hampshire while raising her two children on her own, carrying forward the love and memory of the man who helped shape their family. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025 The Schomburg Centennial Festival was a reminder that in Harlem, Black joy, memory, and imagination are not just preserved —they’re lived. Essence, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for memory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for memory
recollection
Noun
  • Trainwreck: Poop Cruise interviews several passengers and crew members who were on the Triumph that week, and their recollections are truly harrowing.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 25 June 2025
  • There will also be archival photography, museum artifacts and personal recollections from S. E. Hinton and late film producer Fred Roos as well as David Arquette, who appeared in The Outsiders’ drama television series, which aired from March 25 to July 22, 1990 on Fox.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Memory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/memory. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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