Phrase guide

random access memory

noun · 3 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Computer memory, usually volatile, that stores program and data values during operation and in which each word of memory may be directly (randomly) accessed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: business, computing, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, electronics, energy, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: RAM

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Computer memory, usually volatile, that stores program and data values during operation and in which each word of memory may be directly (randomly) accessed.

Main memory.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: business, computing, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, electronics, energy, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: RAM

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on; an integrated circuit memory chip allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: random-access memory, random memory, RAM, read/write memory

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: volatile storage

Narrower terms: magnetic core memory, core memory

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: operativ yaddaş qurğusu — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Azerbaijani: əməli yaddaş — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Chinese Cantonese: 隨機存取記憶體 /随机存取记忆体 (ceoi4 gei1 cyun4 ceoi2 gei3 jik1 tai2) — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Chinese Mandarin: 隨機存取存儲器 /随机存取存储器 (suíjī cúnqǔ cúnchǔqì, suíjī cúnqǔ cúnchúqì) — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Chinese Mandarin: 隨機存儲器 /随机存储器 (suíjī cúnchǔqì, suíjī cúnchúqì) — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Chinese Mandarin: 隨機存取記憶體 /随机存取记忆体 (suíjī cúnqǔ jìyìtǐ) — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Chinese Mandarin: 暫存記憶體 /暂存记忆体 (zàncún jìyìtǐ, zhàncún jìyìtǐ) — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Czech: paměť s náhodným přístupem — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Finnish: hajasaantimuisti — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Finnish: keskusmuisti — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • French: mémoire vive — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • French: mémoire RAM — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • French: mémoire à accès aléatoire — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • French: mémoire à accès sélectif — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • French: mémoire à accès direct — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Galician: memoria RAM — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Galician: memoria de acceso aleatorio — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Georgian: ოპერატიული მეხსიერება (oṗeraṭiuli mexsiereba) — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • German: Arbeitsspeicher — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • German: RAM — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Greek: μνήμη τυχαίας προσπέλασης (mními tychaías prospélasis) — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Icelandic: skyndiminni — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Kazakh: жедел жадтау құрылғысы (jedel jadtau qūrylğysy) — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Macedonian: меморија за случаен пристап (memorija za slučaen pristap) — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Māori: pūmahara uru tupurangi — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Polish: pamięć o dostępie swobodnym — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Portuguese: memória de acesso aleatório — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Portuguese: memória RAM — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Spanish: memoria RAM — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Spanish: memoria de acceso aleatorio — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Swedish: arbetsminne — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Swedish: internminne — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Swedish: primärminne — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Swedish: RAM-minne — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Vietnamese: bộ nhớ truy cập ngẫu nhiên — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM
  • Welsh: cof hapgyrch — computer memory in which each byte of memory may be directly accessed — see also RAM