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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

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Etymology

Origin of mnemonic

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

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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

The first group uses architecture as a mnemonic device to recall histories and traditional design practices; the second as a vehicle — a time-traveling spaceship — for a kind of joyous science fiction.

From New York Times ● May 22, 2023

As the need for precision grew, they scratched marks on the tokens as mnemonic devices.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Decades ago, the company created mnemonics or shortcuts to help users find information on the terminal, such as WEI for world equity indexes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

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

Actors had to learn move after move in sequence, so Pandolfini developed mnemonics and visual cues to help them.

From New York Times ● Oct. 16, 2020

Learning notes on a staff certainly seems dull, but coming up with mnemonics for the notes on the staff can actually be fun.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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