Declarative memory, also known as explicit memory, is a type of long-term memory that involves conscious recall of facts and events. It is one of the two main types of long-term human memory, the other being implicit memory. Declarative memory is divided into two categories: semantic memory for facts and general knowledge, and episodic memory for personal experiences.

Some key features of declarative memory include:

• Conscious effort: Recalling information from declarative memory involves some degree of conscious effort, as information must be consciously brought to mind and "declared".
• Explicit storage: Declarative memory consists of information that is explicitly stored and involves conscious effort to be retrieved. This means that you are consciously aware when you are storing and recalling information.
• Relational representations: Declarative memory provides the critical substrate for relational representations, contributing to representations of events (episodic memory) and the integration and organization of factual knowledge (semantic memory) .

Declarative memory is important for many aspects of daily life, including learning and retaining new information, recalling past events, and understanding language. It is also a key area of study in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, with researchers investigating the mechanisms of declarative memory and the effects of various factors on its function.