amnesia
noun
am·ne·sia
| \ am-ˈnē-zhə
\
\
Definition of amnesia
1
: loss of memory due usually to brain injury, shock, fatigue, repression, or illness
2
: a gap in one's memory
3
: the selective overlooking or ignoring of events or acts that are not favorable or useful to one's purpose or position
… Americans seemed to develop a willful forgetfulness about the nation's longest military conflict, an amnesia that lasted for nearly a decade.— Alan Brinkley
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Other Words from amnesia
amnesiac
\ -zhē-ˌak
, -zē- \
or amnesic \ -zik
, -sik \
adjective or noun
, -zē- \
or amnesic \ -zik
, -sik \
adjective or noun
Examples of amnesia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In an interview with Voice of America, George Shultz, the U.S. secretary of state who was instrumental in negotiating the 1987 INF Treaty, lamented the world’s growing amnesia over the threat posed by nuclear weapons. — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, "Trump opens the door to chaos as landmark treaty expires," 2 Aug. 2019 More than any position, cornerbacks require selective amnesia to shrug off unsuccessful plays and confidently own the next one. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Ty Law was driven to prove people wrong, and that made him a no-doubt Hall of Famer," 1 Aug. 2019 Their attempts are usually correct, but, by the first rehearsal, amnesia sets in. — N'jameh Camara, Teen Vogue, "Names That Are Unfamiliar to You Aren't "Hard," They're "Unpracticed"," 12 July 2019 Beijing has manufactured a cultural amnesia around the June 4th massacre; it’s not taught in schools or mentioned in newspapers, while high-tech censors detect and block any mention of it online. — Laignee Barron / Hong Kong, Time, "How the Tiananmen Square Massacre Changed China Forever," 4 June 2019 Discussions about partisanship today call to mind the description of a form of amnesia in which the sufferers forget everything except their grudges. — Barney Frank, Time, "We Need Bipartisanship to Fix the Economy. That Seems Impossible Right Now," 22 Aug. 2019 Our cultural amnesia is, in fact, proof of the sugar snap’s rise to dominance. — Gene Tempest, BostonGlobe.com, "The sugar snap pea turns 50," 23 July 2019 Well, as every soap in the history of television has proven, amnesia is a great way to create tension in dramas. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "Is That Beloved Veronica Mars Character Really Gone? Here’s Your Only Shred Of Hope," 23 July 2019 The show tells the story of Myfanwy Thomas (Emma Greenwell), who wakes up in the rain beside London’s Millennium Bridge with amnesia. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Comic-Con 2019: 50 things to see at this year’s Comic-Con," 17 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amnesia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for amnesia
amnesia
noun
English Language Learners Definition of amnesia
medical
: a condition in which a person is unable to remember things because of brain injury, shock, or illness
See the full definition for amnesia in the English Language Learners Dictionary
amnesia
noun
am·ne·sia
| \ am-ˈnē-zhə
\
\
Kids Definition of amnesia
: an abnormal and usually complete loss of one's memory
amnesia
noun
am·ne·sia
| \ am-ˈnē-zhə
\
\
Medical Definition of amnesia
1
: loss of memory sometimes including the memory of personal identity due to brain injury, shock, fatigue, repression, or illness or sometimes induced by anesthesia
a period of amnesia after the wreck
2
: a gap in one's memory
an amnesia concerning her high-school years
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