amnesia
noun
am·ne·sia
am-ˈnē-zhə 
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
Alan BrinkleyExamples of amnesia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The series flashes between the two summers, as Cadence tries to solve the mystery of her amnesia and what has happened with her family’s various characters.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 2 July 2025
So Grace does a bit of space training and blasts off on a rocket, waking up several light-years later with temporary amnesia.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
America is drifting into collective amnesia regarding our history.
—Connor Boyack, National Review, 29 June 2025
The priority usually involves treating the cause of amnesia to help people regain their memories.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for amnesia
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Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 2 July 2025
So Grace does a bit of space training and blasts off on a rocket, waking up several light-years later with temporary amnesia.
—ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025
America is drifting into collective amnesia regarding our history.
—Connor Boyack, National Review, 29 June 2025
The priority usually involves treating the cause of amnesia to help people regain their memories.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for amnesia
Cite this Entry
“Amnesia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amnesia. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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Medical Definition
amnesia
noun
am·ne·sia
am-ˈnē-zhə
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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