apnea

noun

ap·​nea ˈap-nē-ə 

1

: transient cessation of respiration

especially : sleep apnea

2

: asphyxia sense 1

Examples of apnea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trial data into different drugs’ impact on weight loss and on a range of other conditions — from heart conditions, liver and Alzheimer’s disease to sleep apnea and alcohol addiction — has frequently been a catalyst for share price moves. —Jenni Reid, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025

Data was collected for sleep duration, sleep timing and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), a measure of the severity of sleep apnea. —Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Their concerns are wide-ranging — some have come in after receiving alerts of possible arrhythmias, others have concerns about sleep or possible apnea. —Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025

Children diagnosed with whooping cough, a respiratory infection, can lose their breath, have apnea spells, or vomit. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from a- + -pnea

First Known Use

circa 1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing apnea

• sleep apnea

Medical Definition

apnea

noun

ap·​nea

variants or chiefly British apnoea

ˈap-nē-ə  ap-ˈnē- 

1

: transient cessation of respiration whether normal (as in hibernating animals) or abnormal (as that caused by certain drugs) see sleep apnea

2

: asphyxia

apneic adjective

or chiefly British apnoeic

ap-ˈnē-ik