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

Rapamycin reversed abnormal patterns of gene expression involving autism, epilepsy, and ion channel function.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026

Somebody who was managing this temporal lobe epilepsy, but also somebody who works in humanitarian aid field in this moment of unprecedented attacks against our aid workers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

The recordings were made while patients undergoing epilepsy surgery were under general anesthesia.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026

Campos said her 44-year-old mother has asthma, her 9-year-old brother has epilepsy, and her 68-year-old grandmother is battling cancer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026

Black men, women, and children suffering with everything from dementia and tuberculosis to “nervousness,” “lack of self-confidence,” and epilepsy were packed into every conceivable space, including windowless basement rooms and barred-in porches.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

But dentate gating seems to break down in temporal-lobe epilepsies affecting the hippocampus, resulting in unrestrained, synchronized firing of granule cells.

From Nature ● Jul. 8, 2014

In contrast to many of the focal epilepsies, it is the inhibitory response of interneurons that fuels absence seizures.

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

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

From Nature ● Jul. 8, 2014

There are accordingly more idiopathic epilepsies than there are idiopathic or "functional" psychoses, if the data of gross anatomy form a reliable index.

From The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Volume 10 by Various

Related Words

• contraction
• cramp
• paroxysm
• seizure
• tremor