In an associative memory comprising a function to extend data width, for which match retrieval is to be conducted, up to a plurality of words, that is, a function to detect total match data when match is respectively detected for a plurality of continuous retrievals, power consumption can be reduced by making active only the necessary areas under the condition that the whole circuit is no longer required to be made active through execution of the current retrieval only to the blocks for which match is detected in the preceding retrieval during a plurality of continuous retrieving operations and/or its adjacent blocks.