anosmia

American  

[an-oz-mee-uh, -os-] / ænˈɒz mi ə, -ˈɒs- /

noun

Pathology.

1. absence or loss of the sense of smell.

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anosmia British  

/ -ˈɒs-, ˌænɒzˈmætɪk, ænˈɒzmɪə /

noun

1. pathol loss of the sense of smell, usually as the result of a lesion of the olfactory nerve, disease in another organ or part, or obstruction of the nasal passages

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Other Word Forms

• anosmatic adjective
• anosmic adjective

Etymology

Origin of anosmia

1805–15; < New Latin < Greek an- an- ¹ + osm ( ḗ ) smell (akin to ózein to smell) + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

There have even been reports of zinc-induced anosmia syndrome, meaning a loss of smell, from zinc nasal sprays.

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2024

It's also not entirely clear how many people have anosmia.

From Salon • Oct. 4, 2023

When Meeks took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to lament the discouraging peer feedback on his grant proposal for traumatic brain injury and anosmia, he said, the responses were telling.

From Salon • Oct. 4, 2023

And Fifth Sense, a charity for smell and taste disorders, estimates that 1 in 10,000 people have congenital anosmia.

From Salon • Oct. 4, 2023

Occasionally overstimulation of the olfactory system may lead to anosmia.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)