short-term memory

American  

noun

1. information retained in the brain and retrievable from it over a brief span of time (contrasted with long-term memory).

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short-term memory British  

noun

1. psychol that section of the memory storage system of limited capacity (approximately seven items) that is capable of storing material for a brief period of time Compare long-term memory

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short-term memory Cultural  

1. Retention of information that undergoes little processing or interpretation and can be recalled for only a few seconds. Short-term memory can retain about seven items.

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A popular example of short-term memory is the ability to remember a seven-digit telephone number just long enough to dial a call. In most cases, unless the number is consciously repeated several times, it will be forgotten.

Etymology

Origin of short-term memory

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

short-term memory

When people eat these contaminated shellfish or fish, they can get Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, which can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, permanent short-term memory loss, coma or death.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Nine weeks of extensive rehabilitation including speech therapy followed, and today he experiences significant short-term memory loss.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

The company’s SGLang software engine makes AI models process queries more efficiently and at lower cost by better utilizing short-term memory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026

Transient global amnesia is a sudden, temporary interruption of short-term memory.

From BBC ● Jan. 4, 2026

While a Stamitz mini-tune might be made up of a handful of notes, Haydn extended the phrase, testing the short-term memory of his listener, then coaxed a slightly altered or ornamented second phrase from it.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall