within living memory
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
Ships like this are not things of a dim past, there were first - class passenger sailing ships on the Australian run within living memory * and there are Admirals alive who first went to sea in wooden sailing ships.
It is on record that within living memory swill basket makers and tanners used them, and that peat, fodder and farm implements have been stored there.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “within living memory” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “within living memory” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.