long-term memory
nounDefinition 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
Examples of long-term memory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Short-term memories last seconds to hours, while long-term memories last for years. — Michael Greshko, National Geographic, "Human memory: How we make, remember, and forget memories," 4 Mar. 2019 The cerebral cortex, which in humans is responsible for higher brain functions such as speech, perception, long-term memory and judgment, is the outer layer of the brain. — Linda Carroll, NBC News, "Gene mutation in the brain may be early clue to autism, study suggests," 2 July 2019 That is in line with other experiments that have suggested that blocking the formation of such tags blocks the formation of long-term memory in snails and some rodents, said Dr. Glanzman. — Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, "Scientists Made Snails Remember Something That Never Happened to Them," 15 May 2018 Their work concerned the brain changes involved in the transformation of short-term memories to long-term memories. — Quanta Magazine, "Light-Triggered Genes Reveal the Hidden Workings of Memory," 14 Dec. 2017 Researchers originally identified ripples in the hippocampus, a region crucially involved in memory and navigation, as central to diverting recollections to long-term memory during sleep. — Simon Makin, Scientific American, "Better Memory Through Electrical Brain Ripples," 14 June 2019 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 2018These 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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