Memory can be broken down into multiple types, including long-term memory, short-term memory, explicit and implicit memory, and working memory.

Memory is a process in your brain that enables you to collect, store, and recall information from the world around you for future use. It involves complex mechanisms that allow you to receive information from your senses and experiences and store it long term in your brain.

Experts have studied and explained memory from various perspectives, and each has a unique way of describing how it works. For example, some experts focus on memory duration (short term and long term), while others frame memory based on the type of information you store and how you use it.

Here are a few ways to describe the various types of memory.

Short-term memories stick with you for a limited amount of time. You might retain the information for seconds, minutes, or hours, but your brain doesn’t necessarily save it for recollection years down the road.

Examples of short-term memory include:

  • recalling a phone number just long enough to dial it
  • acknowledging the sound of a bird in the yard
  • remembering that you placed the cap of the toothpaste on the back of the sink after you brush your teeth

Long-term memory involves the information your brain stores for extended periods of time. There are two primary types of long-term memory:

  • Explicit (declarative) memory: Explicit memory is a type of long-term memory that involves consciously recalling information.
  • Implicit (non-declarative) memory: Implicit memory is a type of long-term memory that involves unconscious recollection of information.

Examples of long-term memory include:

  • recalling details of a vacation or event you went to years ago
  • being able to read music or play a musical instrument
  • riding a bicycle
  • speaking fluently

Working memory is the short-term storage of information for immediate use in decision making, problem-solving, and task performance.

Examples of working memory include:

  • doing mental math
  • holding a conversation in a coherent way
  • following a recipe when cooking
  • multitasking

Are short-term memory and working memory the same?

Short-term memory and working memory are similar but not the same, particularly depending on the context.

Short-term memory specifically considers memory from the standpoint of duration. It can involve any information your brain holds for a brief time, including passive information like a smell or sound you encounter briefly.

Working memory is a type of short-term memory, but it usually involves the active use of the information for immediate tasks, decision making, or problem-solving. In other words, you’re putting that memory “to work.”

Sensory memory is a type of short-term memory that involves your perception of sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and tactile feelings in your environment. These memories stick around for only a fraction of a second, and they help you draw in-the-moment conclusions about the world around you.

Examples of sensory memory include:

  • recalling the last word someone just said
  • looking away from the billboard across the street and briefly retaining the image it shows
  • acknowledging a familiar scent
  • briefly retaining the sensation in your finger after getting shocked with static electricity

Prospective memory is the ability to remember to carry out future tasks or keep previously planned obligations. It’s considered a core neurocognitive ability that contributes to independent function.

Examples of prospective memory include:

  • recalling that you have a doctor’s appointment
  • remembering to grab your car keys and cellphone before you leave your home
  • remembering to return a phone call you received earlier in the day

Long-term implicit memories that relate specifically to skills are procedural memories. These memories are usually learned through practice or repetition until you don’t have to consciously think about them to perform them.

Examples of procedural memory include:

  • driving a car
  • tying your shoes
  • inputting your phone passcode
  • typing on your keyboard without checking each key

Your semantic memory is a type of long-term memory. It’s your ability to assign meanings to words, events, objects, people, and places and to remember those meanings.

Examples of semantic memory include:

  • knowing geographical locations
  • remembering celebrities and the movies they’ve starred in
  • associating certain dates with their historical events
  • knowing what a word means

Episodic memories allow you to recall experiences or events that have occurred throughout your life. These memories are often detailed. Unlike semantic memories, which also allow you to remember people or places from the past, episodic memory involves recollection of the exact time and place you gained the information.

Examples of episodic memory include:

  • remembering your 14th birthday party
  • recalling your nerves during a past job interview
  • remembering how you looked on your wedding day

All types of memory are important and have a role to play in your overall function and cognitive processes. But in general, long-term memory types are sometimes seen as more crucial because they hold indefinite information and guide meaningful decisions and behaviors over time.

Short-term memories are also important, but they’re temporary by nature.

There are many types of memory, which are often categorized based on different theoretical frameworks of time and usage. In general, memories can be long term or short term.

Working memory and sensory memory are examples of short-term memory processes, while episodic memory and semantic memory are examples of long-term memory processes.