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

More than 40% of the people on AD109 improved their sleep enough to be categorized with a less severe form of obstructive disease apnea. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 11 Sep. 2026

How sleep apnea actually works Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026

Sleep Apnea High blood pressure is closely linked to sleep apnea, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). — Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 1 July 2026

Sleep apnea is not just about sleep Sleep apnea is more than a sleep disorder. — Erika Yamazaki, The Conversation, 6 May 2026

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

Rhymes for apnea

• hypercapnia

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