lesion
C1Formal, Academic, Medical
Definition
Meaning
A region in an organ or tissue which has suffered damage through injury or disease.
Any pathological or traumatic discontinuity of tissue or loss of function of a part. Can be used metaphorically to refer to damage in non-biological systems (e.g., psychological, legal).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
In medicine, a broad term encompassing wounds, ulcers, abscesses, tumors, and any other visible tissue abnormality. More specific terms (e.g., laceration, tumor) are often used for precision. The verb form is less common.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or meaning differences. In UK medical contexts, 'lesion' may be slightly more formal than 'sore' or 'wound' for superficial damage. US usage heavily dominates in dermatology and neurology literature.
Connotations
Neutral in both variants; strictly clinical/technical.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English due to higher volume of published medical research.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [noun] caused a lesion [in/on] the [organ].A lesion [was found/was identified] [in/on] the [organ].The patient has a [adjective] lesion.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms; used literally]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not applicable; used only metaphorically in rare cases (e.g., 'a lesion on the company's reputation').
Academic
Central in medical, biological, and neuroscientific research papers (e.g., 'MRI revealed a focal lesion in the hippocampus.').
Everyday
Rare. If used, it's typically in personal health discussions (e.g., 'The doctor is checking a skin lesion.').
Technical
The primary register. Used in clinical diagnoses, pathology reports, medical imaging, and dermatology.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The procedure may lesion the nerve fibres.
- The virus can lesion the intestinal lining.
American English
- The surgeon will lesion the targeted brain area.
- Chemicals can lesion the protective tissue.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form]
adjective
British English
- [Not standard; 'lesional' is extremely rare in clinical notes.]
American English
- [Not standard; 'lesional' is extremely rare in clinical notes.]
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The doctor looked at the red lesion on my arm.
- She has a small skin lesion.
- They did a scan to check for any brain lesions.
- The biopsy showed the lesion was not cancerous.
- Multiple sclerosis often causes demyelinating lesions visible on an MRI.
- The primary lesion was surgically removed, but satellite lesions remained.
- The research focused on the correlation between hippocampal lesions and memory impairment.
- Precise characterisation of the malignant lesion guided the targeted therapy regimen.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'LEGION of problems' – a 'lesion' is a spot where a legion of health problems might begin.
Conceptual Metaphor
DAMAGE IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT/LOCATION (e.g., 'a lesion in the brain', 'the lesion site').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with Russian 'лезвие' (blade).
- Not equivalent to 'рана' (wound) in all contexts; 'lesion' is broader and more clinical.
- In Russian, the direct borrowing 'лезия' is highly technical and rarely used in everyday speech.
Common Mistakes
- Mispronunciation: /ˈliːzɪən/ instead of /ˈliːʒən/.
- Using as a verb in non-medical contexts (e.g., 'The scandal lesioned his career' is highly non-standard).
- Confusing with 'legion'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'lesion' MOST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, a lesion is simply an area of damaged tissue. It can be benign (non-cancerous), malignant (cancerous), or non-neoplastic (e.g., caused by injury or infection).
Yes, but it is highly technical and almost exclusive to medical/scientific contexts. It means 'to cause a lesion in' or 'to inflict a wound on a specific area'.
A 'wound' typically implies a break in the skin or flesh caused by an external force (trauma). A 'lesion' is a broader medical term for any abnormal tissue change, which can include wounds, but also internal abnormalities, tumors, ulcers, etc., from various causes.
No, it is a specialist term. In everyday conversation, people are more likely to use words like 'sore', 'cut', 'lump', 'rash', or 'wound'. 'Lesion' is used when a precise, clinical term is needed.
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