mémoire

Mémoire is a French noun meaning memory, but it is used in several related senses in both French and English. It commonly denotes the mental capacity to encode, store, and retrieve information; in technical contexts it names types of memory in computing; and in education or literature it marks certain forms of writing or reminiscence.

Cognitive memory is categorized by duration and involvement. Sensory memory holds fleeting impressions; short-term or working memory maintains information for analysis; long-term memory stores things for extended periods. Long-term memory divides into explicit (episodic and semantic) and implicit (procedural) memory. Encoding, consolidation, and retrieval are key processes, while forgetting, interference, and aging can affect accuracy. Brain regions such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and cerebellum contribute to different memory functions.

In computing, mémoire refers to computer memory, including volatile RAM and non-volatile storage such as ROM, flash, and hard drives. Primary memory is fast and temporary; secondary memory preserves data without power. Modern systems use multiple layers of memory hierarchies, from caches to main memory to long-term storage, with performance governed by bandwidth, latency, and capacity.

In French higher education, a mémoire is a research paper or dissertation written by a student to complete a degree, typically shorter than a full thesis. In literature, the term can also denote a memoir, a narrative based on personal recollections.