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flashbulb memory

British  

noun

  1. psychol the clear recollections that a person may have of the circumstances associated with a dramatic event

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For me, it became a flashbulb memory, a reminder that art has the power to not only divert people from their dispirited ruminations but also help them reframe their despairing mind-sets.

From Washington Post • Jan. 21, 2022

In a recent study we demonstrated that for some individuals, a medical diagnosis event does create a flashbulb memory that endures for years after the fact.

From Scientific American • Sep. 8, 2020

The majority of respondents—nearly 80 percent—experienced a flashbulb memory after learning of their child’s Down syndrome.

From Scientific American • Sep. 8, 2020

Ulric Neisser, a pioneering cognitive psychologist, drew on a flashbulb memory of his own to suggest that this wasn't the case in 1982.

From US News • Sep. 9, 2016

Experts have a name for this phenomenon: flashbulb memory.

From Time Magazine Archive