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alexia

[ uh-lek-see-uh ]
/ əˈlɛk si ə /
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noun Pathology.
a neurologic disorder marked by loss of the ability to understand written or printed language, usually resulting from a brain lesion or a congenital defect.
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Also called word blindness.

Origin of alexia

1875–80; a-6 + Greek léx(is) speech (leg- stem of légein to speak + -sis-sis) + -ia; altered meaning by association of -lex- with lexicon, etc.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alexia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alexia

alexia
/ (əˈlɛksɪə) /

noun
a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by impaired ability to readNontechnical name: word blindness Compare aphasia

Word Origin for alexia

C19: from New Latin, from a- 1 + Greek lexis speech; influenced in meaning by Latin legere to read
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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