In this paper, the initial value problem of the semilinear
‐evolution equations with a memory term is concerned. Firstly, using the energy method in the Fourier space, the decay estimates for the solutions to the corresponding linear problem are established. Additionally, assuming small initial data in suitable time‐weighted Sobolev spaces, the global‐in‐time existence of the solutions to the semilinear issue is proved by contraction mapping. Finally, the decay estimates of solutions are obtained under the additional regularity assumption on the initial data.