Definition

Noun: 1. A memory aid; a mnemonic device: An object, note, or system designed to assist or prompt the memory. 2. A diplomatic memorandum: A formal written summary or outline of the key points of an agreement or discussion, used especially in diplomatic communications.

Usage

• The primary use is to describe any concise note or tool that helps one remember something.
• In formal and diplomatic contexts, it specifically refers to an official, often unsigned, summary of a conversation or proposed terms.

Examples

• General Use (Memory Aid):
  • She kept a small aide-memoire of her speech points on a notecard.
  • The chart on the wall serves as an aide-memoire for the correct procedures.
• Diplomatic Use (Memorandum):
  • The ambassador submitted an aide-memoire outlining the main concerns of her government.
  • The terms discussed were later formalized in a diplomatic aide-memoire.

Advanced Usage

• "to serve as an aide-memoire": To function as a reminder.
  • The photograph served as a powerful aide-memoire of their journey.
• Used to describe preparatory materials for exams or presentations.
  • His revision notes were a comprehensive aide-memoire for the final exam.

Variants and Related Words

• Memorandum (n.): A written message, especially in business or diplomacy; often more formal and detailed than an .
• Mnemonics (n.): A system or technique for improving memory, such as a pattern of letters or associations.
• Cheat sheet (n., informal): A brief set of notes used for quick reference, often secretly during a test.

Synonyms

• Reminder
• Prompt
• Crib sheet (informal)
• Summary
• Outline

Related Phrases

• An aid to memory: A direct descriptive phrase for an .
  • The list was simply an aid to memory.
• For the record: A phrase sometimes used in formal minutes or memoranda to note a point officially.
  • He stated, for the record, that the proposal was unacceptable.

Notes

• The term is borrowed directly from French, meaning literally "memory aid."
• It is often used in its original French form in English texts and is sometimes italicized (), though this is becoming less common.

Noun

1. a memorandum summarizing the items of an agreement (used especially in diplomatic communications)