different between memoir vs memory

English

Etymology

From French mémoire (“memoir”), from Latin memoria (“memory”). Doublet of memoria and memory.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?m?w??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?m?w??/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /?m?m????/
• Hyphenation: mem?oir

Noun

memoir (plural memoirs)

1. An autobiography; a book describing the personal experiences of an author.

2. A biography; a book describing the experiences of a subject from personal knowledge of the subject or from sources with personal knowledge of the subject.

3. Any form of narrative describing the personal experiences of a writer.

Usage notes

A memoir may differ from a simple biography or autobiography by not focusing on the author as the primary subject matter, but on people and events in the subject's life. Emphasis is placed on personal observations about external events.

The plural memoirs is often used to refer to a single work.

Related terms

• memory

Translations

References

• “memoir” in Michael Agnes, editor-in-chief, Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th edition, Cleveland, Oh.: Wiley, 2010, ?ISBN; reproduced on the Collins English Dictionary
• “memoir” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• “memoir”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).
• “memoir”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• “Memoir” in John Walker, A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary […] , London: Sold by G. G. J. and J. Robin?on, Paterno?ter Row; and T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1791, ?OCLC, page 341, column 2.

Further reading

• memoir on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• memoir in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• momier

English

Alternative forms

• memorie (archaic)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman memorie, Old French memoire etc., from Latin memoria (“the faculty of remembering, remembrance, memory, a historical account”), from memor (“mindful, remembering”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (to remember), related to Ancient Greek ????? (mn?m?, “memory”) ???????? (mérmeros, “anxious”), ??????? (mérimna, “care, thought”), Old English mimor (“mindful, remembering”). More at mimmer. Doublet of memoir and memoria.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?m(?)?i/
• (pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): /?m?m(?)?i/
• Hyphenation: mem?o?ry, mem?ory

Noun

memory (countable and uncountable, plural memories)

1. (uncountable) The ability of the brain to record information or impressions with the facility of recalling them later at will.

   Synonym: recall

2. A record of a thing or an event stored and available for later use by the organism.

   Synonyms: recall, recollection

3. (computing) The part of a computer that stores variable executable code or data (RAM) or unalterable executable code or default data (ROM).

   Synonym: (dated) core
4. The time within which past events can be or are remembered.

5. (attributive, of a material) Which returns to its original shape when heated

6. (obsolete) A memorial.
7. (zoology, collective, rare) A term of venery for a social group of elephants, normally called a herd.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

• in-memory

Related terms

Translations

See also

• memory on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• remember
• mnemonics