aphasia

American  

[uh-fey-zhuh] / əˈfeɪ ʒə /

noun

Pathology.

1. an impairment of a previously held ability to produce or understand spoken, written, or signed language, due to disease or injury of the brain.

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aphasia British  

/ əˈfeɪzɪə /

noun

1. a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by partial or total loss of the ability to communicate, esp in speech or writing Compare alexia

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aphasia Scientific  

/ ə-fā′zhə /

1. Partial or total loss of the ability to articulate ideas or comprehend spoken or written language, resulting from damage to the brain that is caused by injury or disease.

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Other Word Forms

• aphasiac adjective

Etymology

Origin of aphasia

First recorded in 1865–70; from Greek: literally “speechlessness,” equivalent to a- a- ⁶ + phat(ós) “spoken” (derivative of phánai “to speak”) + -ia -ia

Compare meaning

How does aphasia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• aphagia vs. aphasia

Explanation

Aphasia is the inability to express or comprehend written or spoken words. If you can understand this sentence, you don't have it. Aphasia is a medical condition caused by serious brain damage. However, you can also use it to dramatically exaggerate. If you don’t understand the scientific language in a biology textbook, you might feel like you’re suffering from aphasia.

Example Sentences

WSJ: You work with people with dementia who suffer from aphasia, or difficulty finding words.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Text-prediction large language models do exactly the task that people with aphasia struggle with, and they really excel at finding the next word in a sequence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

Bruce Willis left acting after he was diagnosed with aphasia and, a while later, with frontotemporal dementia.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2025

On Thursday, Williams called into "The Breakfast Club" denouncing her dementia and aphasia diagnosis.

From Salon • Jan. 16, 2025

The subject of auditory aphasia may be compared to an individual who is listening to a foreign language of which he does not understand a word.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2 "Anjar" to "Apollo" by Various