trauma

noun

trau·​ma ˈtrȯ-mə 

also

ˈtrau̇- 

plural traumas also traumata

ˈtrȯ-mə-tə,

also

ˈtrau̇- 

1

a

: an injury (such as a wound) to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent

b

: a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury

c

: an emotional upset

the personal trauma of an executive who is not living up to his own expectations

—Karen W. Arenson

2

: an agent, force, or mechanism that causes trauma

Did you know?

Trauma is the Greek word for "wound". Although the Greeks used the term only for physical injuries, nowadays trauma is just as likely to refer to emotional wounds. We now know that a traumatic event can leave psychological symptoms long after any physical injuries have healed. The psychological reaction to severe emotional trauma now has an established name: post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. It usually occurs after an extremely stressful event, such as wartime combat, a natural disaster, or sexual or physical abuse; its symptoms include depression, anxiety, flashbacks, and recurring nightmares.

Examples of trauma in a Sentence

She never fully recovered from the traumas she suffered during her childhood.

She never fully recovered from the trauma of her experiences.

an accident victim with severe head trauma

repeated trauma to a knee

The accident victim sustained multiple traumas.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their very first placement came the next year: Five siblings, all under age 7, most of them in diapers because of age or trauma. —The Tennessean, 23 Aug. 2025

The plaintiffs cite health problems, property damage, and mental health trauma as examples of harm caused by climate change. —Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 22 Aug. 2025

One person’s formative trauma is another’s nostalgic footnote. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025

Defense teams present histories of trauma, substance use, or personality disorders as mitigating factors, but correlation is not causation. —Victor Petreca, Time, 21 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek traumat-, trauma wound, alteration of trōma; akin to Greek titrōskein to wound, tetrainein to pierce — more at throw entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing trauma

• blunt trauma
• trauma center

Rhymes for trauma

• brahma
• chama
• comma
• dama
• drama
• gama
• lama
• llama
• mama
• mamma
• momma
• rama

Kids Definition

trauma

noun

trau·​ma ˈtrau̇-mə  ˈtrȯ- 

plural traumas also traumata -mə-tə 

1

a

: a serious bodily injury (as that caused by an accident or violent act)

head trauma

b

: an abnormal psychological or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or injury

2

: a cause of trauma

traumatic

trə-ˈmat-ik 

trȯ-

trau̇-

adjective

Medical Definition

trauma

noun

trau·​ma ˈtrȯ-mə  ˈtrau̇- 

plural traumas also traumata -mət-ə 

1

a

: an injury (as a wound) to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent

surgical trauma

the intra-abdominal organs at greatest risk to athletic trauma are the spleen, pancreas, and kidney

—M. R. Eichelberger

see blunt trauma

b

: a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from mental or emotional stress or physical injury

2

: an agent, force, or mechanism that causes trauma