Definition · context memory
short-term memory
short-term memory is the term for State kept for the current run or conversation, such as messages, tool results, plans, and checkpoints. You can spot short-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 short-term memory matter?
Short-term memory keeps the current task coherent. It should expire when the task or session ends. For short-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 short-term memory look like?
A booking agent keeps the chosen dates and budget while it compares flights. This example makes short-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 short-term memory easy to confuse with?
Short-term memory supports current work. Long-term memory keeps facts across later runs. The closest entries here are semantic memory, working memory, long-term memory. Compare their definitions with short-term memory before using the names as if they mean the same thing. That comparison keeps short-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 short-term memory?
We have not verified who first introduced short-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 short-term memory?
Read memory first when short-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 short-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 short-term memory?
ACL Anthology supports this working definition of short-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 short-term memory; the linked source remains the evidence to inspect when the wording or boundary matters.
source foundshort-term memoryChecked 2026-07-12→