aphasia
noun
apha·sia
ə-ˈfā-zh(ē-)ə 
medical
: loss or impairment of the power to use or comprehend words usually resulting from brain damage (as from a stroke, head injury, or infection)
Aphasia, the cruel illness resulting from a stroke, allowed Jean to understand what was said to her but prevented her from clearly replying.—
Robert Giroux
Robert GirouxExamples of aphasia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The former talk-show host has been in a care facility since September 2022, and in February 2024 her care team announced she had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aggressive aphasia, partly due to alcohol abuse.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025
But nothing ever materialized, and in early 2024, Williams’ care team revealed the dementia and aphasia diagnosis.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2025
Representatives for Williams announced last year that she was diagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 16 Jan. 2025
The Die Hard and The Sixth Sense star was initially diagnosed in 2022 with aphasia, a neurological disorder that affects language command.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 25 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for aphasia
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Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2025
But nothing ever materialized, and in early 2024, Williams’ care team revealed the dementia and aphasia diagnosis.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2025
Representatives for Williams announced last year that she was diagnosed with progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia in 2023.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 16 Jan. 2025
The Die Hard and The Sixth Sense star was initially diagnosed in 2022 with aphasia, a neurological disorder that affects language command.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 25 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for aphasia
Cite this Entry
“Aphasia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aphasia. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
aphasia
noun
apha·sia
ə-ˈfā-zh(ē-)ə
: loss or impairment of the power to use or comprehend words usually resulting from brain damage (as from a stroke, head injury, or infection) see motor aphasia compare amusia, anarthria
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