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

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

Prenuvo was in the spotlight last month after the actress Busy Philipps revealed that a scan found a lesion in her brain that was later diagnosed as a slow-growing tumor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 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

The company said its clinical team did identify a "lesion of concern" and it was reviewed by two of its dermatologists before a referral was made for potential treatment.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

The girl in gray touched her own lesion with a napkin.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Patients must meet certain criteria for a diagnosis: a combination of clinical symptoms and lesions characteristic of MS that show up on an MRI scan of the brain and spinal cord.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

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

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

“Having the lesions is normal now,” Maddy said.

From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• abrasion
• bruise
• contusion
• laceration
• sore

---