Semantic memory allows human beings to communicate with language. In semantic memory, the brain stores information about words, what they look and represent, and how they are used in an organized way. It is unusual for a person to forget the meaning of the word "dictionary", or to be unable to evoke a visual image of a refrigerator when the word is heard or read.
Semantic memory contrasts with episodic memory, where memories are dependent on a relationship in time. An example of an episodic memory is "I played a piano recital at the end of my senior year at school."
