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

"Often, the lesion can be accessed from the outside or inside, for instance, via image-guided biopsy or endoscopy, but sometimes this is not possible," Venuta said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

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

According to the medical professionals he consulted, the likelihood that the low-grade glioma would turn into something aggressive was high and he was encouraged to treat the lesion while in its early stages.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Most presidential check-up reports, though, contain details of mundane ailments: "Doctors removed a precancerous skin lesion from the tip of his nose", reads a New York Times report on Bill Clinton's annual checkup from 1996.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

When she moved her head, I could see a lesion on her neck open and close like a fish mouth singing a country song.

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

The trials showed the drug reduced relapse rates and inflammatory brain lesions compared with Sanofi’s rival treatment, Aubagio.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

But following a visit to his parents in Spain, his son was left with lesions on his brain which affected his gross and fine motor movement and his speech.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

The findings also fit with ongoing efforts to develop therapies that target fat metabolism and the expansion of chronic MS lesions.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026

When the lesions appear on her skin, she knows it is something more.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• abrasion
• bruise
• contusion
• laceration
• sore

---