Standard Lemma guide

hyperthymesia

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌhaɪ.pə.θaɪˈmiː.zi.ə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ʒə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˌhaɪ.pɚ.θaɪˈmi.ʒə/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory and is able to recall the vast majority of personal events and experiences in life.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: medicine, neuroscience, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: highly superior autobiographical memory, hyperthymestic syndrome, superior autobiographical memory

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From hyper- (prefix meaning ‘over, beyond; excessive’) + Greek θύμηση (thýmisi, “memory”) + -ia (suffix forming names of diseases).

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 超憶症 /超忆症 (chāoyìzhèng) — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Czech: hyperthymesie — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Dutch: hyperthymesia — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Finnish: hypertymesia — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • French: hyperthymésie — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Galician: hipertimesia — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • German: hyperthymestisches Syndrom — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Italian: ipertimesia — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Italian: sindrome ipertimesica — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Northern Kurdish: hîpertîmezî — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Portuguese: hipertimesia — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Portuguese: síndrome da supermemória — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Russian: гипертимезия (gipertimezija) — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Spanish: hipertimesia — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Swedish: hypertymesi — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory
  • Turkish: hipertimezi — rare condition in which a person possesses a superior autobiographical memory