1.
memory; storage (computing)
Computer memory or data storage capacity. Refers to RAM, flash memory, or storage space on devices like smartphones, cameras, and USB drives.
2.
memory; recollection; keepsake
A personal memory or memento. Often used in a sentimental or nostalgic context, especially in song titles, product names, and expressions.
A loanword from English "memory." The computing sense is dominant in everyday usage.
Usage
In daily conversation, メモリー most often refers to computer or device memory/storage. The "personal memory" sense is more common in creative and commercial contexts — song titles, photo album branding, event names — and sounds more sentimental than the native 思い出. For actual cognitive memory (the ability to remember), 記憶 is the standard word.
Common collocations
- メモリー不足: insufficient memory
- メモリーカード: memory card
- USBメモリー: USB flash drive
- メモリーを解放する: to free up memory
- メモリー増設: memory upgrade