noun
trauma
TRAW-muh/ˈtrɔːmə/
A serious injury inflicted by an external event.
The trauma of the house fire leaves her shaken and needing support.
Etymology
The Greek word meant a wound, and the medical term initially referred to physical injury. Its psychological use extended that bodily image to a “psychic wound”—an experience causing abnormal stress.
In context
The war created a whole new understanding of psychological trauma through the phenomenon of shell shock, what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder. Thousands of soldiers came home from the trenches with severe psychological symptoms.
More examples
- The fall causes severe trauma to her spine.
- Doctors check for internal trauma after the crash.
- The protective vest reduces the risk of chest trauma.
Forms
trauma · traumas · traumata
traumatic adjective — Relating to or causing serious physical injury.