Synonyms

memorize

American

[mem-uh-rahyz] / ˈmɛm əˌraɪz /

especially British, memorise

verb (used with object)

to commit to memory; learn by heart.

to memorize a poem.

verb (used without object)

to learn by heart.

I've always been able to memorize easily.

memorize British

/ ˈmɛməˌraɪz /

verb

(tr) to commit to memory; learn so as to remember

"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

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Etymology

Origin of memorize

First recorded in 1585–95; memor(y) + -ize

Explanation

If you memorize something you know it by heart. When you were a little kid, you were probably asked to memorize “The Pledge of Allegiance,” meaning you could recite it from memory with no cheat sheets. To memorize something is to get it into your memory, but it usually implies you’re learning something more complex than a new acquaintance’s name or the time of your next dentist appointment. People typically memorize things like multiplication tables, the periodic chart, Shakespearian quotes, lines for the community theater play, and their nine hundred different online passwords. There are many systems that people use for memorization: flash cards, association, color coding, and even sleeping with the book under their pillow.

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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.

Memorize the first part, then the first part plus the second part, and so on.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

All Neuroscience 101 students learn about it, and they're like, "Memorize this, this is what it does, go on."

From Salon • Oct. 3, 2021

Memorize them quickly: These freshmen standouts probably will be off to the N.B.A. in several months.

From New York Times • Nov. 14, 2017

Memorize the basic contours of this map, and you can rule out entire regions from the get-go.

From Slate • May 15, 2013

Then Jonah could whisper, directly into her ear, “I’m going to distract Mr. Reardon. Look inside that file on his desk. Memorize as much of it as you can.”

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023