: marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images
an eidetic memory

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Eidetic is the technical adjective used to describe what we more commonly call a photographic memory. The word ultimately derives from the Greek noun eidos, meaning "form." The ability of certain individuals to recall images, sounds, or events with uncanny accuracy is a subject of fascination for researchers in the field of psychology. Among notable people who were reputed to have eidetic memories is the late television comic Jackie Gleason, who reportedly was able to memorize an entire half-hour script in a single read-through.

Examples of eidetic in a Sentence

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Holly is a fascinating character in her own right — highly intuitive, with an eidetic memory and near-psychic skills of deduction and people-reading. Sezin Koehler, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025 Carter, who has an eidetic memory, can do nothing but remember. Meg Elison, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek eidētikos of a form, from eidos form — more at wise

First Known Use

circa 1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eidetic was circa 1924

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Cite this Entry

“Eidetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eidetic. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

eidetic

adjective
: marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images
an eidetic memory

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