कंप्यूटर प्रोग्रामिंग
Computer programming language | Types & Examples - Britannica
Computer programming language, any of various languages for expressing a set of detailed instructions for a computer. The earliest programming languages ...
mnemonic
Assembly language is one level above machine language. It uses short <anchor>mnemonic</anchor> codes for instructions and allows the programmer to introduce names for blocks of memory that hold data. One might thus write “add pay, total” instead of “0110101100101000” for an instruction that adds two numbers.
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# mnemonic

1 of 2

## [adjective](/dictionary/adjective)

mne·​mon·​ic[ni-ˈmä-nik ![How to pronounce mnemonic (audio)](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/audio-pron-redesign.svg)](/dictionary/mnemonic?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=m&file=mnemon01 "How to pronounce mnemonic (audio)")

1

**:** assisting or intended to assist memory
To distinguish "principal" from "principle" use the mnemonic aid "the principal is your pal."

also**:** of or relating to [mnemonics](/dictionary/mnemonics)

2

**:** of or relating to memory
mnemonic skill

mnemonically

[ni-ˈmä-ni-k(ə-)lē ![How to pronounce mnemonic (audio)](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/audio-pron-redesign.svg)](/dictionary/mnemonic?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=m&file=mnemon02 "How to pronounce mnemonic (audio)")

adverb

mnemonic

2 of 2

## [noun](/dictionary/noun)

**:** a mnemonic device or code

![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/lightbulb-icon.svg)

## Did you know?

Need a mnemonic device to remember how to spell _mnemonic_? Although the word’s pronunciation begins with an _n_ sound, the spelling begins with an _m_, as in _memory_. There are very few English words that start this way ( [_mnestic_](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mnestic) and [_mnioid_](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mnioid) are two others), and as with similar Latin and Greek borrowings such as [_pneumonia_](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pneumonia), we retained the double initial consonant but not the pronunciation. In addition to its adjectival use, _mnemonic_ is also a [noun](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mnemonic#h2) used to refer to a mnemonic device, such as the famous—or infamous—spelling [dictum](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictum) “I before E, except after C,” which isn't consistently helpful (just ask your neighbor to weigh in on it).

## Examples of _mnemonic_ in a Sentence

Noun

HOMES is used as a _mnemonic_ for the names of the Great Lakes: _H_ uron, _O_ ntario, _M_ ichigan, _E_ rie, and _S_ uperior.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Monica Thieu, a four-time Jeopardy! contestant and winner of the game's 2012 college championship, uses memory techniques like _mnemonic_ devices and flash cards to retain world capitals, TV shows, Olympic cities and more.—![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)Margaret Cirino, _NPR_, 25 June 2024 De Sica, working with a host of screenwriters, builds a teeming story—involving broken friendships, families, institutions, dreams, and lives—in which elements of observation and research are concentrated into intensely emotional moments that heighten the film’s moral and _mnemonic_ power.—![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)Richard Brody, _The New Yorker_, 14 June 2024

Noun

The new _mnemonic_ was created by Ludwig Göransson, the composer behind The Mandalorian, Black Panther, Tenet, and more.—![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)David Pierce, _The Verge_, 27 Mar. 2024 Some of the best alternatives include exercise, meditation, visualization techniques ( _mnemonics_ devices) and a diet rich in omega-3, blueberries, nuts and seeds.—![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/vi-mdash.svg)Kelly Santana Banks, _Discover Magazine_, 16 Apr. 2023 [See all Example Sentences for _mnemonic_![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/arrow-right-exemplar.svg)![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/arrow-right-exemplar-hover.svg)](/sentences/mnemonic)

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mnemonic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. [Send us feedback](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GAQr3Kn1cURCVHUA82hAga1Wv8DCH0IuqDLRUrOpN7M/viewform?ts=63f4f653&entry.1515682415=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary%2Fmnemonic) about these examples.


## Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Greek _mnēmonikos_, from _mnēmōn_ mindful, from _mimnēskesthai_ to remember — more at [mind](/dictionary/mind)

First Known Use

Adjective

1672, in the meaning defined at [sense 1](#h1)

Noun

1842, in the meaning defined [above](#h2)

Time Traveler

The first known use of _mnemonic_ was
in 1672

[See more words from the same year](/time-traveler/1672?src=defrecirc-timetraveler-etycard)

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## Dictionary Entries Near _mnemonic_

[mnem-](/dictionary/mnem-)

mnemonic

[mnemonics](/dictionary/mnemonics)

[See More Nearby Entries ![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/redesign/arrow-right-blue.svg)](/browse/dictionary/m/42)

## Cite this Entry

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“Mnemonic.” _Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary_, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mnemonic. Accessed 13 Sep. 2024.

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## Kids Definition

mnemonic

adjective

mne·​mon·​ic
ni-ˈmän-ik

**:** assisting or intended to assist memory

## Medical Definition

mnemonic

1 of 2adjective

mne·​mon·​ic[ni-ˈmän-ik ![How to pronounce mnemonic (audio)](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/audio-pron-redesign.svg)](/dictionary/mnemonic?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=m&file=mnemon01 "How to pronounce mnemonic (audio)")

1

**:** assisting or intended to assist memory

also**:** of or relating to [mnemonics](/dictionary/mnemonics#medicalDictionary)

2

**:** of or relating to memory

mnemonically

[-i-k(ə-)lē ![How to pronounce mnemonic (audio)](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-09-12--20-35-33-m58bx/images/svg/audio-pron-redesign.svg)](/dictionary/mnemonic?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=m&file=mnemon02 "How to pronounce mnemonic (audio)")

adverb

mnemonic

2 of 2noun

**:** a mnemonic device or code

## More from Merriam-Webster on _mnemonic_

Nglish: [Translation of _mnemonic_ for Spanish Speakers](http://www.nglish.com/spanish/mnemonic)

Britannica.com: [Encyclopedia article about _mnemonic_](https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/386631/mnemonic)

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