trauma
Americannoun
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Pathology.
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a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident.
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the condition produced by this; traumatism.
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Psychiatry.
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an experience that produces psychological injury or pain.
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the psychological injury so caused.
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noun
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psychol a powerful shock that may have long-lasting effects
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pathol any bodily injury or wound
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Severe bodily injury, as from a gunshot wound or a motor vehicle accident.
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Psychological or emotional injury caused by a deeply disturbing experience.
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing trauma
Touching Spirit Bear
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"High School Football"
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"Why I Wrote The Crucible"
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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.
See Examples For:
“Many folks grow up with stories of financial losses and financial trauma, whether it’s someone they know or represented in the media,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Nick Smith, who runs the Ludoquist board game cafe and bar in Croydon, London, said Burnham's announcement was reminiscent of "the trauma of Covid days".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
"I've put a lot of effort into trying to live a normal life despite the trauma," Bobo added.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
He founded All Things Possible Ministries, a Christian nonprofit that tends to refugees and other victims of trauma.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
I was thinking about all of the trauma and difficulty that had followed him home from Vietnam.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
The repercussions of this method still reverberate through Panettiere’s life today, with the actress musing: “I’ve often wondered whether—unintentionally—I’ve brought on my traumas because I’m wired to think they’re good for me.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
Both Clark and Mary wrestle with their individual traumas, but the specific points of their histories are explored with less interest than the Backrooms themselves.
From Salon ● May 30, 2026
Eger dismissed that notion, saying there was no hierarchy of traumas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
While he moderates, screens, and guides members around the clock, Brooks is still processing his own traumas.
From Slate ● Feb. 2, 2026
One of the country's least-discussed postwar problems is how frequently combat veterans bring the traumas of war back with them and are incarcerated after returning to their communities.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
We shall refer later on to those other exactly similar cases of cyclical depression which can nevertheless easily be traced back to mental traumata.
From Group Psychology and The Analysis of The Ego by Freud, Sigmund
He received several head traumata and suffered from enuresis in his early life.
From The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Volume 10 by Various
Absorption takes place from the inner surface of the uterus or from traumata in the genital canal.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
The principal causes of primary keratitis are traumata and infection from the conjunctiva.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 "Evangelical Church Conference" to "Fairbairn, Sir William" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
