semantic memory
- noun
- /sɪˈmæntɪk ˈmɛməri/
- Specialized
:
memoria semántica
- Semantic memory stores general knowledge such as dates and definitions.
- episodic and semantic memory
- semantic memory system
Examples
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Our semantic memory helps us remember important facts, such as the founding year of a country.
-
The subsequent repetitions enable the facts to be fixed in the child's semantic memory and consolidated so that their recall becomes highly automatic.
Academic text (2014) -
Semantic memory is a system for storing information necessary for language.
Academic text (1997) -
My recollection of the world I have lived in, my semantic memory, is also unreliable.
Academic text (1997) -
It is possible that by middle school, students have stored letter and word patterns in their semantic memories and employ these patterns to assist them in the decoding of new real words.
Academic text (2013) -
In psychology, semantic memory refers to our ability to recall information about various subjects without tying it to personal experiences.
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We rely on our semantic memory to understand general concepts, like distinguishing between mammals and reptiles.
How Exact
- Specialized
1
6.3
116
3.8
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the part of long-term memory that stores general knowledge' is directly and compositionally derived from 'semantic' (relating to meaning or general knowledge) + 'memory' (storage of information). Although somewhat technical, this compound follows normal English adjective+noun composition and has comparable equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the intended sense.
Etymology
The term semantic memory comes from the image of a 'library' in the mind for meanings: semantic means meaning and memory is where we keep things in our mind. So, semantic memory is the part of memory that stores 'general knowledge' and 'facts', not personal events.