memorize

American  

[mem-uh-rahyz] / ˈmɛm əˌraɪz /

especially British, memorise

verb (used with object)

memorized, memorizing

1. to commit to memory; learn by heart.

   to memorize a poem.

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verb (used without object)

memorized, memorizing

1. to learn by heart.

   I've always been able to memorize easily.

memorize British  

/ ˈmɛməˌraɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to commit to memory; learn so as to remember

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Other Word Forms

• memorizable adjective
• memorization noun
• memorizer noun
• rememorize verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of memorize

First recorded in 1585–95; memor(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

"They just memorize, and they can give you some insight, but they don't understand what they're talking about."

From Science Daily • Mar. 17, 2026

You can watch “Jaws” enough times to memorize all the shark meals and still be unnerved by Captain Quint’s tale of the USS Indianapolis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

You don’t need to become a homesteader or memorize the Farmer’s Almanac.

From Salon • Dec. 20, 2025

A multitude of fussy apps and the need to memorize countless verbal commands were a big part of the problem.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025

It took a long time to look up Sawfallen Street in the index, flip to the proper page, and memorize directions without so much as touching her finger to the page.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix