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near-death experience

American

[neer-deth ik-speer-ee-uhns] / ˈnɪərˈdɛθ ɪkˌspɪər i əns /

a sensation or vision, as of the afterlife, reported by a person who has come close to death. nde, NDE

near-death experience British

noun

NDE. an experience, instances of which have been widely reported, in which a person near death is apparently outside his body and aware of it and the attendant circumstances as separate from him

"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

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.

Indeed, after the industry’s near-death experience during the pandemic, they’ve become more popular than ever.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Although Alice never ran the risk of actually perishing in Wonderland, Arisu is another matter because of the very nature of the Borderland and how you gain entry through a near-death experience.

From Salon • Sep. 23, 2025

Yu traces its beginnings to a near-death experience he had as a child growing up in rural China.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

After the fight, Foreman said he had a "near-death experience" in the dressing as he struggled with exhaustion and heatstroke.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2025

Leo had heard all about his near-death experience in the nymphaeum in Rome with Jason and Piper.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023