anuria: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Very Low
UK/əˈnjʊə.ri.ə/US/əˈnʊr.i.ə/

Technical/Medical

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Quick answer

What does “anuria” mean?

A complete absence of urine production or excretion.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A complete absence of urine production or excretion.

A critical medical condition, typically defined as urine output of less than 50 mL per day, often resulting from severe kidney failure, obstruction of the urinary tract, or profound dehydration.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No difference in meaning. Spelling and pronunciation are identical. Usage is equally technical in both variants.

Connotations

Purely clinical, urgent, and serious. Carries the same gravity in all medical contexts.

Frequency

Extremely rare outside medical and clinical literature. Used with identical frequency in UK and US medical professions.

Grammar

How to Use “anuria” in a Sentence

The patient suffers/developed/presented with anuria.Anuria is a symptom/complication/indication of X.X caused/resulted in anuria.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
post-renal anuriaacute anuriasevere anuriacomplete anuriapatient presented with anuria
medium
cause of anuriadiagnosis of anuriamanagement of anurialead to anuriaresult in anuria
weak
treat anuriapotential anuriaanuria developedrisk of anuria

Examples

Examples of “anuria” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • The patient's kidneys ceased to produce urine, leading him to anuriate.
  • They were concerned he might anuriate post-surgery.

American English

  • The patient's kidneys stopped producing urine, causing him to become anuric.
  • There was a risk the condition would anurize the patient.

adjective

British English

  • The anuric patient required immediate dialysis.
  • They monitored for anuric renal failure.

American English

  • The anuric patient was rushed to dialysis.
  • Anuric kidney failure is a medical emergency.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Not used.

Academic

Exclusively in medical, nursing, or physiological research and textbooks.

Everyday

Virtually never used. A layperson might say 'his kidneys stopped making urine'.

Technical

The primary and only context. Used in patient notes, clinical discussions, medical journals, and differential diagnoses.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “anuria”

Strong

total renal shutdown (informal/descriptive)

Neutral

non-passage of urineurinary suppression

Weak

severe oliguria (note: not identical)

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “anuria”

polyurianormal urine output

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “anuria”

  • Confusing it with 'oliguria' (low urine output).
  • Using it in non-medical contexts.
  • Misspelling as 'anurea'.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Anuria is the inability to produce urine due to organ failure or obstruction, not simply a lack of the urge. It is a dangerous medical condition.

Anuria is a near-total absence of urine (<50 mL/day). Oliguria is significantly reduced output (typically <400 mL/day) but not a complete stop. Oliguria may precede anuria.

Yes, treatment is urgent and depends on the cause. It may involve relieving a urinary tract obstruction, dialysis for kidney failure, or intravenous fluids for severe dehydration.

No. Anuria is always pathological. A healthy person produces urine regularly. Not urinating for a long period despite normal intake is a medical emergency.

A complete absence of urine production or excretion.

Anuria is usually technical/medical in register.

Anuria: in British English it is pronounced /əˈnjʊə.ri.ə/, and in American English it is pronounced /əˈnʊr.i.ə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Link it to 'a-' (meaning 'without' or 'not') and '-uria' (meaning 'urine'), so 'anuria' = 'without urine'.

Conceptual Metaphor

KIDNEY FUNCTION IS PRODUCTION; ANURIA IS A FACTORY SHUTDOWN.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
The complete absence of urine output, known as , is a critical sign of renal failure.
Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes 'anuria'?