amnesia
noun
am·ne·sia
am-ˈnē-zhə 
1
: loss of memory due usually to brain injury, shock, fatigue, repression, or illness
2
: a gap in one's memory
3
: the selective overlooking or ignoring of events or acts that are not favorable or useful to one's purpose or position
… Americans seemed to develop a willful forgetfulness about the nation's longest military conflict, an amnesia that lasted for nearly a decade.—
Alan Brinkley
Alan BrinkleyExamples of amnesia in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The crowd's acceptance of Trump's Detroit-on-the-rise spin was consistent with their collective amnesia or indifference to his logical inconsistencies throughout the evening.
—Philip Elliott / Detroit, TIME, 19 Oct. 2024
In a case like this, a dose of selective amnesia on your part might be beneficial.
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024
The political appointee from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) who Morris did get on camera, Miller fanboy Scott Lloyd, can barely feign amnesia during his non-responses.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Levitt fears that this amnesia has become an obstacle to warning voters what’s in store for them in a Trump administration.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for amnesia 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Philip Elliott / Detroit, TIME, 19 Oct. 2024
In a case like this, a dose of selective amnesia on your part might be beneficial.
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024
The political appointee from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) who Morris did get on camera, Miller fanboy Scott Lloyd, can barely feign amnesia during his non-responses.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Levitt fears that this amnesia has become an obstacle to warning voters what’s in store for them in a Trump administration.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for amnesia
Dictionary Entries Near amnesia
Cite this Entry
“Amnesia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amnesia. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
amnesia
noun
am·ne·sia
am-ˈnē-zhə
1
: loss of memory sometimes including the memory of personal identity due to brain injury, shock, fatigue, repression, or illness or sometimes induced by anesthesia
a period of amnesia after the wreck
2
: a gap in one's memory
an amnesia concerning her high-school years
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share