anaesthesia

American  

[an-uhs-thee-zhuh] / ˌæn əsˈθi ʒə /

noun

Medicine/Medical, Pathology.

1. anesthesia.

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anaesthesia British  

/ ˌænɪsˈθiːzɪə /

noun

1. local or general loss of bodily sensation, esp of touch, as the result of nerve damage or other abnormality

2. loss of sensation, esp of pain, induced by drugs: called general anaesthesia when consciousness is lost and local anaesthesia when only a specific area of the body is involved

3. a general dullness or lack of feeling

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Other Word Forms

• anaesthetic adjective
• anaesthetist noun
• semianaesthetic adjective

Etymology

Origin of anaesthesia

C19: from New Latin, from Greek anaisthēsia absence of sensation, from _an- + aisthēsis feeling

Example Sentences

Gilby, who had previously been a medic, a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care, hoped she had several years to go working for the health service before she was forced out.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

"Since the ability to hear remains intact under anaesthesia," the researchers write, "music can still shape the brain's internal state."

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

The research, published in the journal Music and Medicine, offers some of the strongest evidence yet that music played during general anaesthesia can modestly but meaningfully reduce drug requirements and improve recovery.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

It's a routine step in general anaesthesia that keeps the airway open and allows precise control of the patient's breathing while they are unconscious.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

Come back around 5 o’clock, he had said, when Finny should be coming out of the anaesthesia.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles