amnesia

[ am-nee-zhuh ]
See synonyms for: amnesiaamnestic on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. loss of a large block of interrelated memories; complete or partial loss of memory caused by brain injury, shock, etc.

Origin of amnesia

1
1780–90; <New Latin <Greek amnēsía, variant of amnēstía oblivion; perhaps learnedly formed from mnē-, stem of mimnḗskesthai to remember (cf. mnemonic) + -s- + -ia-ia. See amnesty

Other words from amnesia

  • am·nes·tic [am-nes-tik], /æmˈnɛs tɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby amnesia

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How to use amnesia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for amnesia

amnesia

/ (æmˈniːzjə, -ʒjə, -zɪə) /


noun
  1. a defect in memory, esp one resulting from pathological cause, such as brain damage or hysteria

Origin of amnesia

1
C19: via New Latin from Greek: forgetfulness, probably from amnēstia oblivion; see amnesty

Derived forms of amnesia

  • amnesiac (æmˈniːzɪˌæk) or amnesic (æmˈniːsɪk, -zɪk), adjective, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for amnesia

amnesia

[ ăm-nēzhə ]


  1. Partial or total loss of memory, usually caused by brain injury or shock.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for amnesia

amnesia

[ (am-nee-zhuh) ]


A loss of memory, especially one brought on by some distressing or shocking experience.

Notes for amnesia

A common variant is selective amnesia; the term is applied to public officials who, when questioned about alleged wrongdoing, profess that they cannot remember.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.