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 Executive function refers to skills like working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibition control. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025 The wafting of a memory, the rustle of a rabbit through a snowbank, the unfolding of a rose. Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 13 July 2025 The elder Cook’s proof had assumed that bits of data were like pebbles that have to occupy separate places in an algorithm’s memory. Ben Brubaker, Wired News, 13 July 2025 The repast was attended by dozens of Samir’s aunts, uncles, friends, and cousins, none of whom could tell a story about Samir without laughing at the memory of the funny, bubbly boy. Aurora Sousanis, Freep.com, 13 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for memory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for memory
recollection
Noun
  • This has dramatic implications for legal proceedings, the spread of misinformation and our ability to trust our own recollections.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • In touch with the album's theme of recollection, Phantogram wrote some new songs for the record from scratch, but also pulled from their ever-growing file of song ideas running throughout their career.
    Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Memory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/memory. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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