Definition · context memory
long-term memory
long-term memory is the term for Information kept across runs or sessions so an agent can use it later. You can spot long-term memory in practice when the record shows what the system observes, what choice it makes, and what changes next, without asking the reader to guess or trust a slogan.
157 definitions656 sourced recordsNamed source: ACL Anthology
Why does long-term memory matter?
Facts kept across runs can improve later work. They also need consent, dates, access rules, and a way to forget. For long-term memory, start with three checks: What is kept, and for how long? Who can write or retrieve it? How would bad data be found and removed? The answers should point to visible evidence, not a promise.
What does long-term memory look like?
A tutor stores a learner's approved goals and uses them in the next lesson. This example makes long-term memory visible by naming the actor, the action, and the result in practice. It is an illustration for readers, not a claim that every product behaves this way.
What is long-term memory easy to confuse with?
Long-term memory lasts across runs. Short-term memory supports the current task or session. The closest entries here are episodic memory, memory, short-term memory. Compare their definitions with long-term memory before using the names as if they mean the same thing. That comparison keeps long-term memory separate from nearby ideas without pretending the boundary is always perfect.
How certain is this definition?
This definition is provisional. ACL Anthology supports the version you see today, but a better or more direct source may change it. Open the cited page and check its date before you use this entry to choose a product, write a policy, set a safety control, or design a system.
Who introduced the term long-term memory?
We have not verified who first introduced long-term memory. The source supports a useful definition, but it may not be the earliest use. Until a dated primary record settles the question, we leave the origin open. A popular article or product page is not enough to name the person who coined a term.
What should you understand before long-term memory?
Read memory first when long-term memory depends on a more basic idea or mechanism. The link gives you a useful route through the glossary. It does not mean every author teaches the subject in this order, so follow the source when the sequence matters.
What should this term help you answer?
Use long-term memory to ask what an agent can observe, decide, change, remember, or hand off. The questions below turn the definition into a practical check. They are prompts for your own work, not claims made by the source, so change them to fit the system you are examining.
- What is kept, and for how long?
- Who can write or retrieve it?
- How would bad data be found and removed?
Which source supports this definition of long-term memory?
ACL Anthology supports this working definition of long-term memory. We checked the link on 2026-07-12. Open the original record for its context, methods, limits, and publication details. The short explanation here is a guide to long-term memory; the linked source remains the evidence to inspect when the wording or boundary matters.
source foundlong-term memoryChecked 2026-07-12→