Amnesia
/æmˈniː.zi.ə/noun
A partial or total loss of memory.
Did you know?The word is built from Greek roots meaning “without memory,” and its dark power is real: in ancient thought, memory was tied to identity, so forgetting could feel like a kind of soul-loss.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
amnēsia
“forgetfulness; loss of memory”
Late Latin
Latin
amnesia
“forgetfulness”
17th Century
English
amnesia
“loss of memory”
Modern English
English
amnesia
“partial or total loss of memory”