eidetic

American  

[ahy-det-ik] / aɪˈdɛt ɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting visual imagery vividly experienced and readily reproducible with great accuracy and in great detail.

2. of or relating to eidos.

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eidetic British  

/ aɪˈdɛtɪk /

adjective

1. (of visual, or sometimes auditory, images) exceptionally vivid and allowing detailed recall of something previously perceived: thought to be common in children

2. relating to or subject to such imagery

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Other Word Forms

• eidetically
  adverb
• noneidetic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of eidetic

First recorded in 1920–25; from Greek eidētikós, equivalent to eîd(os) eidos + -ētikos -etic

Explanation

Having an eidetic memory of a dream means that you can see it in your mind so vividly that it's as though you were watching a movie. Beyond memory, the word eidetic is used to describe the essence, or perfect vision, of an object or idea. The Greek root of eidetic is eidetikos, which means "pertaining to images." While you'll often find the adjective eidetic describing a precise recollection, like a photographic memory, it's used in philosophy and art to describe the essential vision or version of something — e.g., the "essence" of a triangle stripped of color or size. In literature, it might describe writing that evokes images in the mind's eye that are vivid and almost palpable.

Example Sentences

He strips down the real stuff of reverse-immigrant struggles as eidetic text to be read.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

We know of this lullaby because Liebeskind, who was later killed at Sachsenhausen, transmitted the song there to Alexander Kulisiewicz, a Polish musician and political prisoner who had an eidetic memory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Abrams also graduated from Yale Law and has an excellent memory, though not an eidetic one.

From Washington Post • May 5, 2021

Anyone who has witnessed it can attest to the power of its theatrical and eidetic power.

From New York Times • May 26, 2017

“I read about him in my pop culture omnibus, and I have an eidetic memory,” Ridge said.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly