engram

American  

[en-gram] / ˈɛn græm /

noun

1. a presumed encoding in neural tissue that provides a physical basis for the persistence of memory; a memory trace.

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engram British  

/ ˈɛnɡræm /

noun

1. psychol the physical basis of an individual memory in the brain See also memory trace

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Other Word Forms

• engrammic adjective

Etymology

Origin of engram

First recorded in 1905–10; en- ² + -gram ¹

Example Sentences

An engram can be viewed as a sparse ensemble of neurons across multiple regions in the brain that fire together.

From Science Daily • Oct. 8, 2025

They also conducted experiments that allowed a single engram cell to be tracked across experiences and time.

From Science Daily • Jan. 19, 2024

As memories form,neurons that happen to be activated closely in time become a part of the engram and strengthen their connectivity to support future recall.

From Science Daily • Jan. 19, 2024

In the recent study done in my lab in Dublin, we looked at natural forgetting using engram manipulation for the first time.

From Scientific American • Sep. 15, 2023

I am inclined to think that, in the present state of physiology, the introduction of the engram does not serve to simplify the account of mnemic phenomena.

From The Analysis of Mind by Russell, Bertrand