trauma

American  

[trou-muh, traw-] / ˈtraʊ mə, ˈtrɔ- /

noun

traumas, plural traumata plural

1. Pathology.

   1. a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident.

   2. the condition produced by this; traumatism.

2. Psychiatry.

   1. an experience that produces psychological injury or pain.

   2. the psychological injury so caused.

---

trauma British  

/ ˈtrɔːmə, trɔːˈmætɪk /

noun

1. psychol a powerful shock that may have long-lasting effects

2. pathol any bodily injury or wound

---

trauma Scientific  

/ trô′mə,trou′- /

1. Severe bodily injury, as from a gunshot wound or a motor vehicle accident.

2. Psychological or emotional injury caused by a deeply disturbing experience.

---

trauma Cultural  

1. Wounds that result from sudden physical injury or violence.

---

Usage

What does trauma mean? Trauma refers to a sudden, serious body injury or shock, as from violence or an accident, as in The car accident resulted in trauma to the arms and legs of the passenger. Trauma also refers to a serious psychological injury or emotional pain, as from being involved in a disturbing or horrible incident, as in The trauma caused by years of war still gives the soldier nightmares. Trauma is also used to refer to the specific incidents that cause both of these types of serious damage, as in The flood survivors never spoke of the trauma they experienced that day. Example: The victim suffered from internal bleeding caused by repeated trauma to the chest.

Discover More

The term is frequently used to describe an emotional shock that causes serious psychological damage.

Other Word Forms

• traumatic
  adjective
• traumatically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of trauma

First recorded in 1685–95, trauma is from the Greek word traûma wound

Explanation

A trauma is a shock to the body or spirit. A car accident can cause physical trauma like broken bones while losing your dog on a walk is an emotional trauma. When you think of trauma think of blunt force. Trauma tends to come on all at once and be quite serious. Someone who experiences trauma will have either a traumatic injury or traumatic distress. Try not to use this term lightly. If you say that having to wait twenty minutes for a burger was a trauma, people will rightly accuse you of drama.

Example Sentences

Despite the trauma, Natalia has also returned to driving, using an adapted mobility car.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

On Tuesday, several family members were in parliament as the state's health minister apologised for the "enduring distress, anger, pain, grief and trauma".

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Past forced contact with outsiders brought trauma, including disease outbreaks that devastated Indigenous populations lacking immunity.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

As a psychologist, she treated patients, consulted on trauma treatment for the U.S. military and taught at the University of California, San Diego.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Each time he had given those unsettling warnings, he had been airing out his own trauma, distancing himself from it by reducing it to a cautionary tale.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• agony
• anguish
• blow
• confusion
• damage
• injury
• ordeal
• shock
• strain
• stress
• suffering
• torture
• upheaval
• wound