traumatic brain injury

noun

: an acquired brain injury caused by external force (such as a blow to the head sustained in a motor vehicle accident or fall or shrapnel or a bullet entering through the skull)

Traumatic brain injury occurs when the shock from an explosion damages neurological fibers. Soldiers may survive a blast with scarcely a cut, only to find over time that they suffer coordination and memory loss, dizziness, insomnia.

—Nancy Gibbs

An unprotected fall, especially if the player is unconscious or his opponent lands on top of him, can result in severe traumatic brain injury.

—Michael J. Stuart et al.

broadly : acquired brain injury

—abbreviation TBI

Examples of traumatic brain injury in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump referenced a 2024 study from Stanford University that found veterans with traumatic brain injuries given ibogaine saw improvements in depression and anxiety. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026

Ibogaine has been shown in small studies to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms and help treat traumatic brain injuries, though clinical evidence remains limited. —Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026

Sanders suffered injuries, including a concussion, headaches, possible traumatic brain injury, back and tailbone injuries and extreme mental anguish. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026

The action on ibogaine is meant to open the door to federal funding for further research on its effectiveness with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, especially among veterans, several sources said. —Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

traumatic brain injury

noun

: an acquired brain injury caused by external force (as a blow to the head sustained in a motor vehicle accident or fall or shrapnel or a bullet entering through the skull)

A soldier—or a civilian—can survive the blast without a single penetrating wound and still receive the worst diagnosis: traumatic brain injury, or TBI, the signature injury of the Iraq War.

—Michael Mason, Discover

An unprotected fall, especially if the player is unconscious or his opponent lands on top of him, can result in severe traumatic brain injury.

—Michael J. Stuart et al., USA Today

broadly : acquired brain injury

—abbreviation TBI