rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryamnesiaMemory loss
noun

amnesia

am-NEE-zhuh/æmˈniːʒə/

Loss of memory.

Amnesia leaves the recovering patient unable to recognize a companion.

Loss of autobiographical memory after an injury: a recovering patient cannot recognize a companion or their shared experience in a photograph.
Etymology
aGreeknot, without
+mnesiaGreekto recall, remember

The negative prefix turns remembering into its absence. Greek amnesia meant forgetfulness; the medical sense makes that absence a loss of memory, rather than an ordinary moment of forgetting.

In context

eNCAAgainstAllOdds2:56
retrograde amnesia is when a person has loss of memory for events immediately preceding the trauma
Against All Odds| Retrograde Amnesia gives Eric Mbuyazi a better chance at life

More examples

  • Her amnesia lasted several hours after the accident.
  • His amnesia makes it difficult to remember new information.
  • The report criticizes the country's collective amnesia about its past.

Forms

amnesia

amnesiac adjective — affected by loss of memory

Similar words

forgetfulness
Usually describes everyday difficulty remembering, not a medical condition.
memory lapse
Describes a single instance of failing to remember something.