engram

American  

[en-gram] / ˈɛn græm /

noun

1. a presumed encoding in neural tissue that provides a physical basis for the persistence of memory; a memory trace.

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engram British  

/ ˈɛnɡræm /

noun

1. psychol the physical basis of an individual memory in the brain See also memory trace

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Other Word Forms

• engrammic adjective

Etymology

Origin of engram

First recorded in 1905–10; en- ² + -gram ¹

Example Sentences

An engram can be viewed as a sparse ensemble of neurons across multiple regions in the brain that fire together.

From Science Daily • Oct. 8, 2025

The team's initial computational studies had predicted that the number of engram cells involved in a single memory would decrease over time, and the animal experiments bore that out.

From Science Daily • Jan. 19, 2024

Now that more is known about how engrams work to form and stabilize memories, researchers can examine which genes are changing in the animal model when the engram population decreases.

From Science Daily • Jan. 19, 2024

In addition, we found that a short reminder training session, for example, could help animals reaccess those same engram cells.

From Scientific American • Sep. 15, 2023

As we have indicated in our comparison, every suggestion which has succeeded leaves a strong trace, or engram, in the brain.

From The Sexual Question A Scientific, psychological, hygienic and sociological study by Forel, Auguste