anamnesis

American  

[an-am-nee-sis] / ˌæn æmˈni sɪs /

noun

anamneses plural

1. the recollection or remembrance of the past; reminiscence.

2. Platonism. recollection of the Ideas, which the soul had known in a previous existence, especially by means of reasoning.

3. the medical history of a patient.

4. Immunology. a prompt immune response to a previously encountered antigen, characterized by more rapid onset and greater effectiveness of antibody and T cell reaction than during the first encounter, as after a booster shot in a previously immunized person.

5. Often Anamnesis a prayer in a Eucharistic service, recalling the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ.

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anamnesis British  

/ ˌænæmˈniːsɪs /

noun

1. the ability to recall past events; recollection

2. the case history of a patient

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anamnestically
  adverb
• anamnestic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• anamneses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of anamnesis

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin, from Greek anámnēsis “remembrance,” equivalent to ana(mi)mnḗ(skein) “to remember” ( ana ana- + mimnḗskein “to call to mind”) + -sis -sis

Explanation

The ability to remember things that happened in the past is anamnesis. In ancient Greece, anamnesis was believed to include memories of past lives. The original, philosophical meaning of anamnesis included taking memories from past existences and using them in your current life, through rational thought and true knowledge. The word has come to mean, more generally, "memory." It can also apply to a patient's medical history; a doctor might take notes on your anamnesis during a first visit. Anamnesis is a Greek word that means "a calling to mind," from the roots ana-, "back," and mimneskesthai, "to recall" or "to cause to remember."

Related Words

• consciousness
• mind
• recollection
• remembrance
• thought