amnesia

noun

am·​ne·​sia am-ˈnē-zhə How to pronounce amnesia (audio)
1
: loss of memory due usually to brain injury, shock, fatigue, repression, or illness
2
: a gap in one's memory
3
: the selective overlooking or ignoring of events or acts that are not favorable or useful to one's purpose or position
… Americans seemed to develop a willful forgetfulness about the nation's longest military conflict, an amnesia that lasted for nearly a decade.Alan Brinkley
amnesiac adjective or noun
or amnesic

Examples of amnesia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Yet Trump’s latest bit of performative amnesia is perhaps his most risible. Christian Schneider, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024 Falling for Christmas, where the Mean Girls star played a spoiled hotel heiress who gets into a skiing accident, suffers amnesia and is cared for by handsome, blue-collar lodge owner. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Jan. 2024 The Interpreter of Silence (Watch on: Hulu) Set in the early ’60s, during the economic boom time in post-World War II Germany, this limited series, adapted by Annette Hess from her novel, explores the deliberate amnesia of a country trying to bury the horrors of its recent past. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Dec. 2023 The advice-givers seem to have the kind of amnesia where only the precious, adorable memories remain and the others, the unpleasant, unenjoyable ones are banished to the deepest recesses of their brain. Christina Crawford, Parents, 7 Dec. 2023 A day after his dad confirmed on X that Hurst has post traumatic amnesia in connection with the hit during the Panthers-Chicago Bears game on Nov. 9, the journeyman player offered more details about the injury that has sidelined him for nearly a month, and thanked his fans for their support. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 7 Dec. 2023 The 1990 movie, starring Nancy Allen, set the tone for what was to come, with a plot about a stepmother who gets amnesia and can’t remember why a psychopath is trying to kill her family. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 19 Nov. 2023 Six years later, Waldo popped up in San Francisco, pleading temporary amnesia. Elaine Louie, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023 Sometimes, people may have a flat butt due to gluteal amnesia or dormant butt syndrome. Jacqueline Andriakos, Health, 18 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amnesia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin amnēsia, borrowed from Greek (Septuagint) amnēsía "forgetfulness," variant of amnēstía — more at amnesty entry 1

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of amnesia was in 1772

Dictionary Entries Near amnesia

Cite this Entry

“Amnesia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amnesia. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

amnesia

noun
am·​ne·​sia am-ˈnē-zhə How to pronounce amnesia (audio)
: severe loss of memory
amnesiac adjective or noun

Medical Definition

amnesia

noun
am·​ne·​sia am-ˈnē-zhə How to pronounce amnesia (audio)
1
: loss of memory sometimes including the memory of personal identity due to brain injury, shock, fatigue, repression, or illness or sometimes induced by anesthesia
a period of amnesia after the wreck
2
: a gap in one's memory
an amnesia concerning her high-school years
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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