concussion

American  

[kuhn-kuhsh-uhn] / kənˈkʌʃ ən /

noun

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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Other Word Forms

• concussant
  adjective
• concussional
  adjective
• concussive
  adjective

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

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

Hall of Fame defensive tackle Steve McMichael, a key member of the Super Bowl XX champion Chicago Bears, has been diagnosed posthumously with Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the Concussion & CTE Foundation said Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

An earlier version of this article was previously published at Concussion Inc. Used by permission.

From Salon • Jul. 6, 2025

Concussion is traumatic injury that can happen with a blow to the head as the brain moves inside the hard skull.

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2024

McCrory previously headed the Concussion in Sports Group, which periodically publishes influential concussion research consensus statements in BJSM, but he resigned when issues with his papers first became public.

From Science Magazine • May 15, 2024

"Yeah," I said, even though I was thinking, Concussion?

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• bump
• injury
• shock
• trauma