dysphasia

noun

dys·​pha·​sia dis-ˈfā-zh(ē-)ə 

: loss of or deficiency in the power to use or understand language as a result of injury to or disease of the brain

dysphasic

dis-ˈfā-zik 

noun or adjective

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

One resident, a 72-year-old Marine Corps veteran, died of septic shock stemming from an untreated urinary tract infection, dysphasia and pneumonia: complications spurred by improper medical care and neglect. —Dana Ferguson, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2019

Brayson had been diagnosed with fragile X syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, impulse control disorder and dysphasia, according to records obtained by IndyStar. —Marisa Kwiatkowski, Indianapolis Star, 31 May 2018

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French dysphasie, from dys- + -phasie (in aphasie aphasia)

Note: Perhaps first suggested by the physician and librarian René-Marie Briau (1810-86), in a note entitled "Aphémie et aphasie," published in the Gazette hebdomadaire de médecine et de chirurgie, vol. 1, no. 6 (February 5, 1864), pp. 95-96. The note was Briau's reaction to the controversy over the two terms aphémie et aphasie (see note at aphasia).

First Known Use

circa 1883, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

dysphasia

noun

dys·​pha·​sia dis-ˈfā-zh(ē-)ə 

: loss of or deficiency in the power to use or understand language as a result of injury to or disease of the brain compare dysarthria