memorization

noun

mem·​o·​ri·​za·​tion ˌme-mə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌme-mə-(ˌ)rī-,

ˌmem-rə-

: the act or process of memorizing something : commitment of something to memory

The current emphasis on written exams and memorization encourages what is referred to bitterly by many educators as "teaching to the test."

—Alison Lurie

Seeking a balance to his daily diet of science and memorization of facts, he pursues music avocationally.

—Judith Wynn Halsted

Common core standards, which Alabama adopted in 2010 and implemented in 2012, emphasize thinking mathematically rather than memorization of formulas.

—Trisha Powell Crain

Examples of memorization in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

My friend also noted that Souls games had traditionally focused more on technique, memorization, and, yes, perseverance, than level grinding, min-maxing, and extensive wiki-reading. —Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 18 June 2024

Jokes are good, memorization is good, but star quality? —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2024

The memorization can cause the AI model to regurgitate training data as output—which could be a disaster from a copyright or data-protection perspective. —IEEE Spectrum, 21 May 2024

This is a time in history that is not best learned through dry memorization but through visceral storytelling. —Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined above