aide-memoire
Học thuậtThân thiện
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
- a memorandum summarizing the items of an agreement (used especially in diplomatic communications)