eidetic

adjective

ei·​det·​ic ī-ˈde-tik How to pronounce eidetic (audio)
: marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images
an eidetic memory
eidetically adverb

Did you know?

Eidetic is the technical adjective used to describe what we more commonly call a photographic memory. The word ultimately derives from the Greek noun eidos, meaning "form." The ability of certain individuals to recall images, sounds, or events with uncanny accuracy is a subject of fascination for researchers in the field of psychology. Among notable people who were reputed to have eidetic memories is the late television comic Jackie Gleason, who reportedly was able to memorize an entire half-hour script in a single read-through.

Examples of eidetic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Carter, who has an eidetic memory, can do nothing but remember. Meg Elison, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024 But the spotlight naturally pulls back to Beck, whose eidetic memory for faces, locations and even a stray box of thallium salts at the crime scene suggests a level of expertise honed in places far beyond Lincoln County. Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2023 Overall, people tend to use the terms photographic memory and eidetic memory interchangeably. Kelly Santana Banks, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2023 So far, there is no evidence eidetic memory occurs in adults. Kelly Santana Banks, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2023 Others have benefited from the club’s eidetic memory. New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022 Abrams also graduated from Yale Law and has an excellent memory, though not an eidetic one. Washington Post, 6 May 2021 Olson contends that Audubon had an eidetic memory—commonly called photographic memory—because the sometimes astounding positions of his birds have been verified by contemporary videos and photographs captured via telephoto lenses. Marissa Fessenden, Scientific American, 17 May 2013 If anything, my largest quibble with the show is that Lucy’s main skill as a historian seems to be having a near-eidetic memory of dates and names, when— let’s be real—memorizing dates is not actually what history is about. Rachel Kaufman, Smithsonian, 12 Mar. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Greek eidētikos of a form, from eidos form — more at wise

First Known Use

circa 1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eidetic was circa 1924

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Dictionary Entries Near eidetic

Cite this Entry

“Eidetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eidetic. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

eidetic

adjective
ei·​det·​ic ī-ˈdet-ik How to pronounce eidetic (audio)
: marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images
an eidetic memory
eidetically adverb

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