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Which 17th-century scientist is the earliest recorded user of the word mnemonic?

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mnemonic

American  

[ni-mon-ik] / nɪˈmɒn ɪk /

adjective

1. assisting or intended to assist the memory.

2. pertaining to mnemonics or to memory.

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noun

• mnemonics
  plural

1. something intended to assist the memory, as a verse or formula.

2. Computers. a programming code that is easy to remember, as STO for “store.”

mnemonic British  

/ nɪˈmɒnɪk /

adjective

1. aiding or meant to aid one's memory

2. of or relating to memory or mnemonics

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noun

1. something, such as a verse, to assist memory

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mnemonically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mnemonics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mnemonic

1660–70; < Greek mnēmonikós of, relating to memory, equivalent to mnēmon- (stem of mnḗmōn ) mindful + -ikos -ic

Explanation

A mnemonic is a memory aid for something, often taking the form of a rhyme or an acronym. I before E except after C, is a mnemonic to help you remember how to spell words like "piece" and "receive." As an adjective, mnemonic describes something related to memory. "Spring forward, Fall back" is a mnemonic device to help you remember which way to set your clocks for daylight savings time. Set the clock forward an hour in the spring when daylight savings time begins, and set the clock back an hour in the fall when it ends. Well-known mnemonics exist to help you remember things like the planets, the digits of Pi, and the color spectrum.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mnemonic mnemonics

His central metaphor is the memory palace, an ancient Greek mnemonic technique that employs spatial imagination to organize and access information.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

For the uninitiated, this saying is a mnemonic device that helps Seattleites remember the names and order of the city’s streets.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 6, 2023

Lists are a mnemonic device, and the list I’m offering in this video discussion of the best films I’ve seen so far this year is, above all, a way of rescuing these films from oblivion.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 9, 2023

Lemay links her towers to the Native art of the totem pole, which makes sense in terms of their form and mnemonic function.

From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023

Farmer remembered all of his patients—he kept track of their faces and quirks and the dates he had seen them, using mnemonic devices, just like his flash cards in medical school.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Cognitive science shows that mnemonics help memory, distinctive voice draws attention and a sense of joy strengthens retention.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2025

Out of desperation, Mr. Lorayne discovered some library books on memory training and mnemonics, the system of using mental cues to aid memory.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2023

However, rhyme works well and mnemonics work well.

From New York Times ● Mar. 24, 2016

Rather than constructing a complex system of mnemonics, perhaps it is possible simply to boost the strength of the memory as it is imprinted.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 12, 2014

Here are some of the most popular mnemonics used.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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