Meaning & use

amnesia

noun·Academic

Partial or complete loss of memory, typically resulting from injury, illness, or severe shock.

See it in a sentence

After the accident, he suffered amnesia and couldn't remember the crash itself.

The character in the novel wakes with amnesia and no idea of her own name.

A note on using this word

Amnesia can be temporary or permanent, and it may affect memories from before the injury or the ability to form new ones.

Words with a similar meaning

memory loss

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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