aphasia: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1-C2 (Low-frequency, specialised term)Formal, Medical/Academic
Quick answer
What does “aphasia” mean?
A medical condition involving the loss or impairment of the ability to understand or produce language due to brain damage.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A medical condition involving the loss or impairment of the ability to understand or produce language due to brain damage.
In a broader sense, it can be used metaphorically to describe a sudden, profound inability to speak or communicate, often due to shock or strong emotion.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or use. Pronunciation differs (see IPA). Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Identical; purely medical/clinical in both variants.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both varieties, confined to medical, neurological, and academic contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “aphasia” in a Sentence
The patient has aphasia.The stroke resulted in aphasia.She was diagnosed with aphasia.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “aphasia” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The stroke can aphasise a patient.
- He was aphasised by the injury.
American English
- The stroke can aphasiate a patient.
- He was aphasiated by the injury.
adjective
British English
- He showed aphasic symptoms.
- The aphasic patient worked with a therapist.
American English
- He showed aphasic symptoms.
- The aphasic patient worked with a therapist.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Common in neuroscience, linguistics, psychology, and medical literature.
Everyday
Rare. Might be used when discussing a family member's health condition.
Technical
Core term in neurology, speech-language pathology, and rehabilitation sciences.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “aphasia”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “aphasia”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “aphasia”
- Mispronouncing it as /æˈfeɪziə/ or /eɪˈfeɪʒə/.
- Using it to mean general confusion or forgetfulness.
- Spelling it as 'aphasia'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Mutism is an inability or refusal to speak. Aphasia is a specific neurological impairment in processing language; a person with aphasia may speak but produce jumbled words or nonsense sentences.
There is no universal 'cure', but many people recover significant language function through intensive speech and language therapy, especially if the brain damage is not progressive.
No. Aphasia affects the language system, not general intelligence. A person with aphasia may have clear thoughts but be unable to find the words to express them.
Aphasia is an acquired disorder, typically from brain injury (like a stroke), affecting all language modalities (speaking, understanding, reading, writing). Dyslexia is usually a developmental, specific learning difficulty primarily affecting reading and spelling skills.
A medical condition involving the loss or impairment of the ability to understand or produce language due to brain damage.
Aphasia is usually formal, medical/academic in register.
Aphasia: in British English it is pronounced /əˈfeɪzɪə/, and in American English it is pronounced /əˈfeɪʒə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a phase (phasia) where you can't speak (A-phasia). 'A-' means 'without', so 'without speech'.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A TOOL/CHANNEL → APHASIA IS A BLOCKAGE/BREAKDOWN IN THE CHANNEL.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes 'aphasia'?