trauma

[ trou-muh, traw- ]

noun

, plural trau·mas, trau·ma·ta [trou, -m, uh, -t, uh, traw, -].

1. Pathology.
   1. a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident.
   2. the condition produced by this; traumatism.
2. Psychiatry.
   1. an experience that produces psychological injury or pain.
   2. the psychological injury so caused.

trauma

/ ˈtrɔːmə; trɔːˈmætɪk /

noun

1. psychol a powerful shock that may have long-lasting effects
2. pathol any bodily injury or wound

trauma

/ trô′mə,trou′- /

1. Severe bodily injury, as from a gunshot wound or a motor vehicle accident.
2. Psychological or emotional injury caused by a deeply disturbing experience.

trauma

1. Wounds that result from sudden physical injury or violence.

Notes

The term is frequently used to describe an emotional shock that causes serious psychological damage.

Derived Forms

• traumatic, adjective
• trauˈmatically, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of trauma¹

First recorded in 1685–95, trauma is from the Greek word traûma wound

Word History and Origins

Origin of trauma¹

C18: from Greek: a wound

Example Sentences

She says what she thought would be her dream job ended up leaving her with lifelong trauma.

From BBC

Budowich and his staff will act as blunt-force trauma, applied to reporters.

From Salon

Part thriller, part true crime investigation, the nonfiction book uses one of the most heinous unsolved crimes of the Troubles — the 1972 disappearance of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of 10 who was abducted from her Belfast home by intruders assumed to be members of the Irish Republican Army — to explore the lingering trauma of political violence on survivors and perpetrators alike.

From Los Angeles Times

Petticrew, 28, is a “ceasefire baby,” part of a generation that grew up during a fragile peace but still grapples with social division, economic inequality and intergenerational trauma.

From Los Angeles Times

The humanity of these families and the trauma deportation would inflict are of no apparent concern to the incoming administration.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agony
• anguish
• blow
• confusion
• damage
• injury
• ordeal
• shock
• strain
• stress
• suffering
• torture
• upheaval
• wound