Definition of amnesia
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
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Origin and Etymology of amnesia
New Latin, from Greek amnēsia forgetfulness, alteration of amnēstia
First Known Use: 1772
Other Psychology Terms
AMNESIA Defined for English Language Learners
amnesia
playDefinition of amnesia for English Language Learners
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medical : a condition in which a person is unable to remember things because of brain injury, shock, or illness
AMNESIA Defined for Kids
amnesia
playDefinition of amnesia for Students
: an abnormal and usually complete loss of one's memory
Medical Dictionary
amnesia
playMedical Definition of amnesia
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
Learn More about amnesia
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Spanish Central: Translation of amnesia Nglish: Translation of amnesia for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of amnesia for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about amnesia
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