analgesia

noun

an·​al·​ge·​sia ˌa-nᵊl-ˈjē-zh(ē-)ə How to pronounce analgesia (audio)
-zē-ə
: insensibility to pain without loss of consciousness

Examples of analgesia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Black patients were 29% less likely than white patients to receive multimodal analgesia using a combination of four drugs. — New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2024 Multimodal analgesia uses a combination of at least two medications or anesthetic techniques, each relieving pain through distinct mechanisms. — Heather Margonari, Discover Magazine, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, borrowed from Greek analgēsía "lack of feeling, insensibility," from an- an- + álgēsis "sense of pain" (from algē-, variant stem of algéō, algeîn "to feel pain, suffer" — derivative of álgos "pain," of uncertain origin — + -sis -sis) + -ia -ia entry 1, probably formed after análgētos "insensible to pain"

First Known Use

circa 1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of analgesia was circa 1706

Rhymes for analgesia

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Cite this Entry

“Analgesia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analgesia. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

analgesia

noun
an·​al·​ge·​sia ˌan-ᵊl-ˈjē-zhə How to pronounce analgesia (audio)
-z(h)ē-ə
: loss of the ability to feel pain while awake
analgesic
-ˈjē-zik
-sik
adjective or noun

Medical Definition

analgesia

noun
an·​al·​ge·​sia ˌan-ᵊl-ˈjē-zhə, -z(h)ē-ə How to pronounce analgesia (audio)
: insensibility to pain without loss of consciousness

More from Merriam-Webster on analgesia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about analgesia

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