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traumatic brain injury

American  
[traw-mat-ik breyn in-juh-ree, truh-mat-ik] / trɔˈmæt ɪk ˈbreɪn ˌɪn dʒə ri, trəˈmæt ɪk /

noun

Medicine/Medical.
  1. damage to the brain from a source outside the body, such as an object that strikes the head violently or penetrates the skull, which causes symptoms ranging from headache and dizziness to permanent physical or mental disability: TBI

    After the car accident, he was diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain injury that greatly affected his memory and ability to concentrate.


Etymology

Origin of traumatic brain injury

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“The injuries I suffered led to a long and difficult recovery that I am still trying to recover from, including treatment for a severe traumatic brain injury, a shattered maxilla and a bone graft procedure.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 2, 2026

In his early sixties, Rob Kaufman suffered a medical emergency that caused him to faint and hit his head on a wood floor, resulting in a traumatic brain injury.

From Barron's Jun. 15, 2026

In rat models, they found proof of concept that the approach could be useful for traumatic brain injury and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

From Science Daily May 5, 2026

Suffering what was likely a traumatic brain injury, he sank into a deep depression.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 28, 2026

I want to tell her that my memory is hacked, that I have a traumatic brain injury.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

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