short-term memory
noun
information retained in the brain and retrievable from it over a brief span of time (contrasted with long-term memory).
Origin of short-term memory
First recorded in 1965–70
Words nearby short-term memory
short-tailed shearwater,
short-tailed shrew,
short-tempered,
short-term,
short-term exposure limit,
short-term memory,
short-termism,
short-timer,
short-waisted,
short-winded,
shortage
British Dictionary definitions for short-term memory
short-term memory
noun
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
Medical definitions for short-term memory
short-term memory
n.
The phase of the memory process in which stimuli that have been recognized and registered are stored briefly.
Cultural definitions for short-term memory
short-term memory
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.
notes for short-term memory
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.