lobotomy
noun
lo·bot·o·my
lō-ˈbä-tə-mē 
plural lobotomies
: surgical severance of nerve fibers connecting the frontal lobes to the thalamus that has been performed especially formerly chiefly to treat mental illness
Examples of lobotomy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As the film concludes, Dr. Cawley and Dr. Sheehan exchange a glance before Andrew (a.k.a. Teddy) is apprehended by guards, which indicates that he will be forced to undergo a lobotomy to subdue his violent behavior.
—
Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Rice’s description of lobotomies was, in a word, false.
—Samantha Riedel, Them, 5 Dec. 2024
Taking the same medicine to treat two different conditions is two different treatments, just as using a scalpel to remove a brain tumor is a different treatment than using a scalpel to perform a lobotomy.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Dec. 2024
Although lobotomies were once common in the U.S., many of them nonconsensual, the American Medical Association denounced the practice as early as 1941 — barely half a decade after Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz invented the procedure.
—Samantha Riedel, Them, 5 Dec. 2024
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Nicole Briese, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
Rice’s description of lobotomies was, in a word, false.
—Samantha Riedel, Them, 5 Dec. 2024
Taking the same medicine to treat two different conditions is two different treatments, just as using a scalpel to remove a brain tumor is a different treatment than using a scalpel to perform a lobotomy.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Dec. 2024
Although lobotomies were once common in the U.S., many of them nonconsensual, the American Medical Association denounced the practice as early as 1941 — barely half a decade after Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz invented the procedure.
—Samantha Riedel, Them, 5 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for lobotomy
Cite this Entry
“Lobotomy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lobotomy. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
lobotomy
noun
lo·bot·o·my
lō-ˈbät-ə-mē
plural lobotomies
: surgical severance of nerve fibers connecting the frontal lobes to the thalamus that has been performed especially formerly chiefly to treat mental illness
called also leukotomy
compare lobectomyLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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