Dictionary:
mem·o·ran·dum (mĕm'ə-răn'dəm)  |
[Middle English, to be remembered (used as a manuscript notation), from Latin, neuter sing. gerundive of memorāre, to bring to remembrance. See memorable.]
| Business Dictionary: Memorandum |
1. Informal record.
2. Brief note, in writing, of some transaction.
3. Outline of an intended instrument.
4. Instrument written in concise summary.
| Thesaurus: memorandum |
| Law Encyclopedia: Memorandum |
An informal record, in the form of a brief written note or outline, of a particular legal transaction or document for the purpose of aiding the parties in remembering particular points or for future reference.
A memorandum may be used in court to prove that a particular contract was made. For instance, in a real estate transaction, a memorandum can be used to show that the parties to a sale have entered into an agreement to sell a particular parcel at an indicated price, in addition to other details of the agreement. This type of memorandum is also referred to as a binder.
An attorney might use a memorandum to explain and summarize a specific point of law for a judge or for another attorney.
A memorandum decision is a written decision, issued by a court, which reports the ruling, and the decisions and orders of the court. It does not, however, contain an opinion, which is an explanation of the rationale upon which the decision was based.
| Word Tutor: memorandum |
I read the CEO's memorandum and wrote my response.
| Wikipedia: Memorandum |
A memorandum or memo is a document or other communication that aids the memory by recording events or observations on a topic, such as may be used in a business office. The plural form is either memoranda or memorandums.
A memorandum may have any format, or it may have a format specific to an office or institution. In law specifically, a memorandum is a record of the terms of a transaction or contract, such as a policy memo, memorandum of understanding, memorandum of agreement, or memorandum of association. Alternative formats include memos, briefing notes, reports, letters or binders. They could be one page long or many. If the user is a cabinet minister or a senior executive, the format might be rigidly defined and limited to one or two pages. If the user is a colleague, the format is usually much more flexible. At its most basic level, a memorandum can be a handwritten note to one's supervisor.
Dean Acheson famously quipped that "A memorandum is not written to inform the reader but to protect the writer". Charles Peters wrote that "bureaucrats write memoranda both because they appear to be busy when they are writing and because the memos, once written, immediately become proof that they were busy." (Charles Peters. How Washington Really Works. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1983.)
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A specific type of memorandum is the policy briefing note (alternatively referred to in various jurisdictions and governing traditions as policy issues paper, policy memoranda, or cabinet submission amongst other terms), a document for transmitting policy analysis into the political decision making sphere. Typically, a briefing note may be denoted as either “for information” or “for decision”.
The origins of the term “briefing” lie in legal “briefs” and the derivative “military briefings”.[1]
The primary purpose of a briefing note “for decision” is to support decision making – to “help (or sometimes influence) a decision-maker to make a better decision in a particular problem situation than they might otherwise have made without the analysis”.[2]
As the communication mechanism of the policy analysis process, the briefing note should provide a coherent synopsis of a policy problem, identify different policy options for addressing the problem, articulate opposing perspectives and advocate a recommended option. The typical structure for a briefing note includes: a description of the proposed policy; relevant background information; a discussion of key considerations (including implementation concerns, financial considerations, stakeholder impacts, and possible unanticipated consequences), a summary of arguments for and against the policy and a recommended decision. Policy documents that start with a proposal and assemble an argument that position are more accurately referred to as a government white paper. A government green paper which raises a policy option and is meant to open a dialogue on the proposal is more similar in tone to a briefing note than is a white paper.
There is no universal standard for a briefing note, but it is generally understood to be a concise, coherent summary of a public policy problem with a clearly articulated logic for following a recommended course of action. ”Next to a political nose, and a logical brain, the most important skill of the good treasury man resides in his fine drafting hand. The concise, coherent and penetrating note is the final expression of all other talents.”[3] In many Westminster / Whitehall governance settings, policy analysts are expected to analyze the issue and write the briefing note from a neutral public service perspective. However, the briefing note “for decision” must contain a recommendation, acknowledging that “to say anything of importance in public policy requires value judgments, which must be explained and justified”.[4]
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| Translations: Memorandum |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - memorandum, notat, optegnelse
Français (French)
n. - (Admin) note de service, (Pol) mémorandum
Deutsch (German)
n. - Notiz, Mitteilung, Memorandum
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - μνημόνιο, υπόμνημα, σημείωμα, σημείωση
Português (Portuguese)
n. - memorando (m)
Русский (Russian)
меморандум, письмо с напоминанием, докладная записка
Español (Spanish)
n. - memorándum
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - meddelande, PM, minneslista, diplomatisk (not), avhandling
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
备忘录, 买卖契约书, 便笺
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 備忘錄, 買賣契約書, 便箋
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 覚え書き, メモ, 連絡メモ, 定款, 摘要
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) مفكرة, تقرير قصير
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - תזכיר, מזכר, ממורנדום
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Business Dictionary. Dictionary of Business Terms. Copyright © 2000 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Law Encyclopedia. West's Encyclopedia of American Law. Copyright © 1998 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved. eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Memorandum". Read more |
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