lesion

American  

[lee-zhuhn] / ˈli ʒən /

noun

• lesions
  plural

1. an injury; hurt; wound.

2. Pathology. any localized, abnormal structural change in the body.

3. Plant Pathology. any localized, defined area of diseased tissue, as a spot, canker, blister, or scab.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause a lesion or lesions in.

lesion British  

/ ˈliːʒən /

noun

1. any structural change in a bodily part resulting from injury or disease

2. an injury or wound

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lesions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lesion

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin laesiōn-, stem of laesiō “injury,” from Latin laes(us) “harmed” (past participle of laedere “to harm”) + -iō -ion

Explanation

A lesion is an injury to the living tissue on your body, like your skin or an organ. Usually a lesion involves a break or wound to the skin, so protect it with a bandage so that it heals quickly. Lesion, pronounced "LEE-zhun," comes from the Latin word laesionem meaning "injury." Lesions on the skin are usually not very nice to look at, the kind of wounds that might make you grimace — things like open sores, cuts, deep scrapes or puss-filled gashes. Lesions also are a concern of doctors because if lesions develop without explanation, it can be a sign that your immune system is dangerously weak.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lesion lesions

Most presidential check-up reports, though, contain details of mundane ailments: "Doctors removed a precancerous skin lesion from the tip of his nose", reads a New York Times report on Bill Clinton's annual checkup from 1996.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

The lesion -- clearly visible in recent weeks -- was a basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, said dermatologist Cristina Abdalla, who led the procedure at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

The cause, he later said, was a lesion on the part of the brain that controls anxiety.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

He sat directly across from me, fixed me with a professional gaze, and said, “I’ve got the results of your MRI. There’s a lesion on your hip.”

From Slate ● Mar. 29, 2026

Quendy came back from the bathroom and said, “Omigod! Like big thanks to everyone for not telling me that my lesion is like meg completely spreading.”

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Etchells underwent excision surgery, a procedure to remove the lesions caused by endometriosis, which she says made her feel "lighter".

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

But following a visit to his parents in Spain, his son was left with lesions on his brain which affected his gross and fine motor movement and his speech.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

The study also revealed important molecular differences between MS lesions containing foamy microglia and those without them.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026

Second, the complete absence of abfraction lesions in primates strongly suggests these are a uniquely human problem, tied to modern habits.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

She has scars from her longtime battle with skin lesions, but the new sores don’t appear as fast or as furiously as they had in the past.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• abrasion
• bruise
• contusion
• laceration
• sore