concussion

American  

[kuhn-kuhsh-uhn] / kənˈkʌʃ ən /

noun

• concussions
  plural

1. Pathology. injury to the brain or spinal cord due to jarring from a blow, fall, or the like.

2. shock caused by the impact of a collision, blow, etc.

3. the act of violently shaking or jarring.

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concussion British  

/ kənˈkʌʃən /

noun

1. a jarring of the brain, caused by a blow or a fall, usually resulting in loss of consciousness

2. any violent shaking; jarring

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concussion Scientific  

/ kən-kŭsh′ən /

1. An injury to a soft structure, especially the brain, produced by a violent blow or impact and followed by a temporary, sometimes prolonged, loss of function. A concussion of the brain results in transient loss of consciousness or memory.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• concussant
  adjective
• concussional
  adjective
• concussive
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• concussions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of concussion

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin concussiōn-, stem of concussiō “a shaking,” also “earthquake, extortion”; equivalent to concuss + -ion

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Explanation

A concussion is a violent blow, especially to the head, that often injures the brain or causes a loss of consciousness — an all-too-frequent occurrence, unfortunately, in contact sports like football or boxing. First used around 1400, concussion originates from the Latin concussionem, which means "a shaking." Your brain certainly gets "a shaking" when you take a heavy blow to the head, which sometimes causes injury or permanent damage. It's not just people, though, who get concussions; a building can also suffer from a concussion during an earthquake.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

concussion concussions

Then he headed back to barracks, where he sat with the surviving troops and pretended he had suffered a concussion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Reserve guard Trevor Penning also won’t play because of a concussion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

Offensive lineman Trevor Penning is in concussion protocol.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

The 27-year-old American was on her way to training last week when she was involved in a "very scary" head-on collision, leaving her with a "severe" concussion.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

The ambulance doctor couldn’t make out whether Flittman had a fracture or a concussion.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Doctors used to worry almost exclusively about concussions, but most headers don’t produce a concussion diagnosis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Why concussions are up this year is still a mystery, and perhaps it will even out as the season goes on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State — Chris Olave has been great for the Saints, but he’s prone to concussions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

Tagovailoa has said he contemplated retiring after suffering two concussions during the 2022 season, but returned to lead the league for passing yards in 2023, taking Miami into the play-offs.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

He told us about Mr. Terupt’s wrestling and concussions and it not being all Peter’s fault.

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

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Related Words

• bump
• injury
• shock
• trauma

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