virtual memory

Scientific  

/ vûr′cho̅o̅-əl /

1. A memory management system in a computer that temporarily stores inactive parts of the content RAM on a disk, restoring it to RAM when quick access to it is needed. This allows software to operate as though the computer has more RAM than it actually does.

---

Example Sentences

The hard drive is, in short, used as “virtual memory.”

From Seattle Times

When demand exceeds what is available for a given task, computers start using “virtual memory,” which is actually hard drive memory and which is much slower than solid state RAM memory.

From Seattle Times

It may be that other programs or possibly malware are chewing up memory, causing Windows to have to write to “virtual memory,” which means storing application data on your disc drive.

From Seattle Times

When Windows runs out of RAM for running programs it swaps them to virtual memory reserved on the computer’s drive.

From Seattle Times

I sometimes need to run Windows, which I do in virtual memory using Parallels Desktop, but I don’t want that as my main operating system.

From Seattle Times