recovered memory

American  

noun

1. a memory of a past event that has been recalled after having been forgotten or repressed for a long time.

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recovered memory British  

noun

1. the alleged recollection of traumatic events from childhood by a person undergoing psychotherapy See also false memory syndrome

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Etymology

Origin of recovered memory

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Choking under the pressure of recovered memory, Will jumps in his old car and embarks on a going-back-to-face-my-past road trip to end all road trips.

From Washington Post • May 12, 2017

UC Berkeley law professor Franklin Zimring said the bill could result in questionable prosecutions, including some based on recovered memory.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2016

Egyptian officials said they were preparing to move the recovered memory unit from the ship to the Egyptian coastal town of Alexandria.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2016

In the 1990s, some psychiatrists used a treatment called recovered memory therapy, which encouraged patients to dig deep into their memories and find trauma that could explain their suffering.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2016

"That is not enough," said Mordecai, quickly, looking up again with the flash of recovered memory and confidence.

From Daniel Deronda by Eliot, George