working memory
noun
: memory that involves storing, focusing attention on, and manipulating information for a relatively short period of time (such as a few seconds)
A simple activity involving working memory is the carry-over operation in mental arithmetic, which requires temporarily storing a string of numbers and holding the sum of one addition in mind while calculating the next.—
Patricia S. Goldman-Rakic
Patricia S. Goldman-RakicYour short-term memory might help you to remember what someone has just said to you, for example, but your working memory would allow you to recite it to them backwards or pick out the first letter of each word.—Jonathan K. Foster
compare long-term memory, short-term memory
Jonathan K. FosterExamples of working memory in a Sentence
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One of their main machines was a CDC 1604 with 192 KB of RAM—about 21,000 times less working memory than a basic modern smartphone.
—Shaun Raviv, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2020
Some research also suggests preserving cognitive functioning early on may result in better functional outcomes (i.e., better working memory).
—Michelle Pugle, Verywell Health, 15 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, our brain recruits our spatial working memory, which evolved to track our location in physical space, to orient our words within a whole.
—Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
The mainstay task was a psychological mental test that involved remembering a sequence of letters (the N-back working memory test).
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
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Shaun Raviv, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2020
Some research also suggests preserving cognitive functioning early on may result in better functional outcomes (i.e., better working memory).
—Michelle Pugle, Verywell Health, 15 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, our brain recruits our spatial working memory, which evolved to track our location in physical space, to orient our words within a whole.
—Cal Newport, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
The mainstay task was a psychological mental test that involved remembering a sequence of letters (the N-back working memory test).
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for working memory
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Dictionary Entries Near working memory
Cite this Entry
“Working memory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/working%20memory. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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working memory
noun
: memory that involves storing, focusing attention on, and manipulating information for a relatively short period of time (such as a few seconds)
A simple activity involving working memory is the carry-over operation in mental arithmetic, which requires temporarily storing a string of numbers and holding the sum of one addition in mind while calculating the next.—Patricia S. Goldman-Rakic, Scientific American
Patricia S. Goldman-Rakic, Scientific AmericanYour short-term memory might help you to remember what someone has just said to you, for example, but your working memory would allow you to recite it to them backwards or pick out the first letter of each word.—Jonathan K. Foster, New Scientist
Jonathan K. Foster, New ScientistLove words? Need even more definitions?
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