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grand mal

American  
[gran mahl, -mal, grand, grahn mal] / ˈgræn ˈmɑl, -ˈmæl, ˈgrænd, grɑ̃ ˈmal /

noun

Pathology.
  1. epilepsy


grand mal British  
/ ɡrɒn mæl, ɡrɑ̃ mal /

noun

  1. a form of epilepsy characterized by loss of consciousness for up to five minutes and violent convulsions Compare petit mal

"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

Etymology

Origin of grand mal

1875–80; < French: great ailment, epilepsy

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Family friends told the MV Times that Forté had a seizure last year that required hospitalization and had been taking medicine since then to prevent a grand mal seizure.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

Rosales suffers from grand mal seizures; her mother has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2023

At first, the neuropsychiatrist was "jarred" by the sight of a grand mal seizure.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2023

Iska, his daughter with Ana Maria, had lived with brain damage before dying of a grand mal seizure in 1985 at age 14.

From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2023

L� est le grand mal qu’a fait la Convention du 15 Juillet, l� est le grand obstacle � la politique et � la paix.

From The Greville Memoirs (Second Part) A Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1852 (Volume 1 of 3) by Greville, Charles

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