Karen W. Arenson
Did you know?
Trauma is the Greek word for "wound". Although the Greeks used the term only for physical injuries, nowadays trauma is just as likely to refer to emotional wounds. We now know that a traumatic event can leave psychological symptoms long after any physical injuries have healed. The psychological reaction to severe emotional trauma now has an established name: post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. It usually occurs after an extremely stressful event, such as wartime combat, a natural disaster, or sexual or physical abuse; its symptoms include depression, anxiety, flashbacks, and recurring nightmares.
Examples of trauma in a Sentence
Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
Imagine being in crisis and having to repeatedly share your story of trauma with a revolving door of strangers.
—Janel L Medina, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025
Investigators did not find any signs of bodily trauma, Nakahodo said.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 6 Jan. 2025
Essay Signs of Life Raksha Vasudevan On the surreal nature of secondary trauma.
—Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Trauma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trauma. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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Medical Definition
M. R. Eichelberger
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