Example: If memory serves me right, we met last summer.
Definition
"If memory serves me right" is an expression used to indicate that the speaker believes their recollection is accurate but leaves room for possible error. It suggests that, to the best of their memory, the information or event stated is correct.
The phrase "if memory serves me right" originates from the idea of memory 'serving' or assisting a person by providing accurate information. It combines a conditional phrase with the personification of memory as a helpful servant. This idiomatic expression has been used in English for centuries to politely hedge statements based on recollection.
Learn to use this expression actively
"If memory serves me right" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C1) - set 1", containing 130 commonly used expressions.
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