gt to an l level and changes the search clock sclk lt 2 gt to an h level at the timing of clk 2 of the clock camclk the block a control circuit 205 activates the match amplifier activation signal maea to an h level according to the fact that the search clock sclk lt 1 gt has changed to an l level the match amplifier circuit 212 amplifies a voltage of the match line mla according to the fact that the match amplifier activation signal maea has been activated to an h level the latch circuit 216 latches an output of the match amplifier circuit 212 and outputs a block a search determination signal maoa_n 0 in the case of the 0th entry when the block a search determination signal maoa_n 0 is at an l level it is meant that all the unit cells uc of the 0th entry of the block a are of hit when the block a search determination signal maoa_n 0 is at an h level it is meant that at least one unit cell uc of the 0th entry of the block a is of miss the block a control circuit 205 activates the match amplifier activation signal maea to an h level for a prescribed time and then deactivates it to an l level the search line sla is deactivated by the search line driver of the block a after the match amplifier activation signal maea is activated after the search line.