lesion

American  

[lee-zhuhn] / ˈli ʒən /

noun

• lesions
  plural

1. an injury; hurt; wound.

2. Pathology. any localized, abnormal structural change in the body.

3. Plant Pathology. any localized, defined area of diseased tissue, as a spot, canker, blister, or scab.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to cause a lesion or lesions in.

lesion British  

/ ˈliːʒən /

noun

1. any structural change in a bodily part resulting from injury or disease

2. an injury or wound

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lesions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lesion

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin laesiōn-, stem of laesiō “injury,” from Latin laes(us) “harmed” (past participle of laedere “to harm”) + -iō -ion

Explanation

A lesion is an injury to the living tissue on your body, like your skin or an organ. Usually a lesion involves a break or wound to the skin, so protect it with a bandage so that it heals quickly. Lesion, pronounced "LEE-zhun," comes from the Latin word laesionem meaning "injury." Lesions on the skin are usually not very nice to look at, the kind of wounds that might make you grimace — things like open sores, cuts, deep scrapes or puss-filled gashes. Lesions also are a concern of doctors because if lesions develop without explanation, it can be a sign that your immune system is dangerously weak.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lesion lesions

Amabile’s results indicated that he had a lesion in his brain the size of a marble, prompting him to get an additional MRI with and without contrast.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva underwent surgery Friday that removed a lesion on his scalp, less than six months before the presidential elections.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

The cause, he later said, was a lesion on the part of the brain that controls anxiety.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

He sat directly across from me, fixed me with a professional gaze, and said, “I’ve got the results of your MRI. There’s a lesion on your hip.”

From Slate ● Mar. 29, 2026

She and the girls spent the rest of the hour fixing Quendy’s hair to like showcase the lesion.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Doctors told her time and again that it could not be endometriosis - an incurable condition causing lesions and scarring on internal organs and around the body, external - because she was too young.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Etchells underwent excision surgery, a procedure to remove the lesions caused by endometriosis, which she says made her feel "lighter".

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

To untangle these possibilities, we need much larger comparative datasets of lesions in wild primates, only then can we begin to trace broader patterns and refine our interpretations of the fossil record.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

His report last year noted minor sun damage and benign lesions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

You can see her like muscles and tendons and ligaments and stuff through the lesions.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• abrasion
• bruise
• contusion
• laceration
• sore