mnemonic

English

Alternative forms

• mnemonick (obsolete, rare)

Etymology

From New Latin mnemonicus, from Ancient Greek μνημονικός (mnēmonikos, “of memory”), from μνήμον (“remembering, mindful”), from μνᾶσθαι (mnasthai, “to remember”), from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think”); see mind.

Pronunciation

• (Australia, RP) IPA: /nəˈmɔ.nɪk/, SAMPA: /n@'mQnIk/
• (US) IPA: /nəˈmɑːnɪk/, SAMPA: /n@'mAnIk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

mnemonic (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to mnemonics: the study of techniques for remembering anything more easily.

Translations

related to mnemonics

Czech: mnemonický (cs), mnemotechnický (cs) Dutch: mnemotechnisch (nl), mnemonisch (nl) Finnish: muistitekninen (fi) French: mnémonique (fr), mnémotechnique (fr)

German: mnemonisch (de) m. Russian: мнемонический (ru) (mnemoníčeskij) m. Spanish: mnemotécnico (es)

Noun

mnemonic (plural mnemonics)

1. Anything (especially something in verbal form) used to help remember something.

   Example: To remember the colours of the rainbow, use the mnemonic: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet)

Synonyms

• aide-memoire

Translations

Anything (especially something in verbal form) used to help remember something

Dutch: ezelsbruggetje (nl) n., geheugensteuntje (nl), mnemotechniek (nl) Finnish: muistisääntö (fi) French: mnémonique (fr), mnémotechnie (fr), mnémotechnique (fr) f. German: Eselsbrücke (de) f.

Japanese: 語呂合わせ (ja) (ごろあわせ, goroawase) Scottish Gaelic: cuimhneachan (gd) m. Swedish: memoreringsteknik (sv) c., minnesregel (sv) c.

Related terms

• mnemonics
• mnemonize
• mnemotechny
• mnemotechnic
• mnemotechnical

See also

• Mnemosyne, mother of the Muses, who personified Memory in Greek mythology.
• crib

References

• “mnemonic” in the Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001 [1]
• Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967
• mnemonic in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911