persistent vegetative state

British

noun

PVS. med an irreversible condition, resulting from brain damage, characterized by lack of consciousness, thought, and feeling, although reflex activities (such as breathing) continue

"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.

The health care system was developing tools to keep patients alive in a persistent vegetative state, raising difficult questions about when a family member could refuse death-prolonging treatment on their behalf.

From Slate • Jul. 29, 2022

The accident left him in a coma for a brief time, then in a persistent vegetative state for several months.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 5, 2022

In 1976, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that Karen Ann Quinlan, a young woman in a persistent vegetative state, could be disconnected from her respirator.

From Washington Times • Mar. 31, 2021

But she was in a persistent vegetative state.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2019

He was left in a persistent vegetative state but his life supporting treatment was removed after a legal battle.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2015

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