epilepsy

American  

[ep-uh-lep-see] / ˈɛp əˌlɛp si /

noun

Pathology.

• epilepsies
  plural

1. a disorder of the nervous system, characterized either by mild, episodic loss of attention or sleepiness (petit mal) or by severe convulsions with loss of consciousness (grand mal).

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epilepsy British  

/ ˈɛpɪˌlɛpsɪ /

noun

1. a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by periodic loss of consciousness with or without convulsions. In some cases it is due to brain damage but in others the cause is unknown See also grand mal petit mal

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epilepsy Scientific  

/ ĕp′ə-lĕp′sē /

1. Any of various neurological disorders characterized by recurrent seizures. Epilepsy is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

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epilepsy Cultural  

1. A disorder of the brain characterized by sudden, recurring attacks of abnormal brain function, often resulting in convulsions or seizures. The seizures associated with epilepsy can sometimes be controlled by medication.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• epilepsies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of epilepsy

First recorded in 1570–80; from Old French epilepsie, from Late Latin epilēpsia, from Greek epilēpsía “epileptic seizure,” derivative of epilambánein “to take hold of, seize, attack”; see epi-, -lepsy ( def. )

Explanation

If you have epilepsy, you have a central nervous system disorder that may cause you to lose consciousness and have convulsions. The noun epilepsy comes from the Greek word epilēpsia, which itself means seizure. Not all seizures are caused by epilepsy, but an epileptic seizure occurs when a strong electrical disturbance occurs in the brain. The severity and intensity of the seizures depend on many factors and are unique to each person. It may be possible to control seizures through medication, although not everyone with epilepsy will respond to medication. People with uncontrolled epilepsy should not drive.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

epilepsy epilepsies

She has never been diagnosed with an underlying seizure disorder, such as epilepsy, and a medical test to provoke a seizure in Linton after the crash came back with no abnormal brain activity, prosecutors said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

A U.S.-based chain of medbed operators called Tesla BioHealing has been flagged by federal regulators for claiming that its “Life Force Energy” treatments can cure stroke paralysis, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and terminal cancer.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

Scientists could use it to investigate how signals travel through different layers of the brain during processes involving epilepsy, memory, and decision-making.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

Their contributions included expertise in analyzing neural circuits and models relevant to epilepsy.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

He has epilepsy, but trust me when I say it doesn’t keep him from being your typical annoying sixth-grade sibling.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

Still, about 30% of epilepsies do not respond to pharmaceuticals, which prompted the search for alternative treatments.

From Nature ● Jul. 8, 2014

The mechanism underlying seizures known as absence epilepsies is rather different.

From Nature ● Jul. 8, 2014

Indeed, many epilepsies resemble a perverse imitation of normal activity for a given brain structure — and these lead to some of the distinctions between the pathology and activity associated with different epileptic disorders.

From Nature ● Jul. 8, 2014

Electrophysiology insights could guide more sophisticated monitoring of cortical epilepsies and possibly other focal epilepsies as well.

From Nature ● Jul. 8, 2014

Therefore, I am not at all sure that these conceptions will really apply to essential epilepsies or to the real epilepsies.

From The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Volume 10 by Various

Related Words

• contraction
• cramp
• paroxysm
• seizure
• tremor