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.

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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

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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

Even with that delay, mice that received either intervention showed better motor recovery, smaller lesion volumes, improved glymphatic flow, and lower levels of inflammatory cytokines in the brain.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

"It's amazing, you literally can't see I had a large cancerous lesion removed from my cheek," she tells the BBC in the waiting room.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

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

"It is a common lesion, caused by sun exposure," Abdalla said.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 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

Such nodules "could be a whole range of benign lesions -- inflammatory, infectious, autoimmune, or congenital -- or they could be malignant," Venuta said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

Novartis said its drug reduced the annualized relapse rate and inflammatory brain lesions relative to the rival medicine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

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

Second, the complete absence of abfraction lesions in primates strongly suggests these are a uniquely human problem, tied to modern habits.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

Or were the lesions merely a finishing touch on being pretty?

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

Related Words

• abrasion
• bruise
• contusion
• laceration
• sore