amnesia

noun

am·​ne·​sia am-ˈnē-zhə 

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

am-ˈnē-zhē-ˌak 

-zē-

adjective or noun

or amnesic

am-ˈnē-zik 

-sik

Examples of amnesia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Throw in a scandalous tryst, a terrible fall, a bout of amnesia, a fake engagement and a wildly sexy, deeply romantic happily ever after, and this absolute banger will keep the pages turning all night long. —Staff Author, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025

The public embrace of Baldwin as the scribe of the civil-rights movement has involved a kind of willful amnesia regarding his queerness, and, in turn, an erasure of the muses—romantic and platonic—who inspired him. —The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025

Why is amnesia such a favorite theme? —Literary Hub, 24 Oct. 2025

Another study found that creatine can help support those with traumatic brain injuries, showing improvements in amnesia, headaches and fatigue. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for amnesia

• atresia
• babesia
• anaesthesia
• analgesia
• anesthesia
• dyskinesia
• paresthesia
• hyperalgesia
• hyperesthesia

Kids Definition

amnesia

noun

am·​ne·​sia am-ˈnē-zhə 

: severe loss of memory

amnesiac

-z(h)ē-ˌak 

adjective or noun

Medical Definition

amnesia

noun

am·​ne·​sia am-ˈnē-zhə 

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