What do we call memories that involve facts and general knowledge acquired throughout life?

The term for memories that involve facts and general knowledge acquired throughout life is semantic memories. Semantic memory is a type of long-term memory that helps us understand concepts and facts about the world around us. This includes knowledge about language, mathematics, historical events, and general information that is not tied to specific personal experiences.

For example, knowing that Paris is the capital of France or that a tomato is a fruit are examples of semantic memory. This contrasts with episodic memory, which involves personal experiences and the specific events that we have lived through. Procedural memory refers to the skills and actions we perform automatically, like riding a bike or tying shoelaces, and explicit memories encompass both episodic and semantic memories but don't specifically target knowledge and facts as semantic memory does. Thus, identifying semantic memories is fundamental in understanding how we organize and retrieve information that contributes to our general knowledge.