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aphasia

aphasia

10 9.1
A condition where a person cannot speak or understand words after brain damage
  • noun
  • /əˈfeɪʒə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : afasia
  • The therapist worked with patients suffering from aphasia to help them regain their ability to communicate.
  • speaker with aphasia
  • bilingual aphasia
  • severe aphasia

But we do lose, I think a little bit of and the name for it is aphasia when you can't remember a word, right?

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Examples

  • A 35-year-old white male, acute onset of aphasia, no history of trauma.

  • Are there distinct groups into which patients with bilingual aphasia can be categorized?

    Academic text (2013)
  • Some people get a specific effect of aphasia on their ability to read numbers.

  • OK, so can people with global aphasia do this task?

  • That's the word for the lack of speech after brain damage, aphasia or dysphasia.

  • For example, there were only three speakers with severe aphasia and relatively mild apraxia.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Each participant's type of aphasia was diagnosed by the speech-language therapist who treated him or her.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Education was not different between the aphasia group and the control group (p = .09).

    Academic text (2013)
  • Numerous studies have shown that people with aphasia still gesture spontaneously and frequently (Rose, 2006).

    Academic text (2013)
  • Our forced-choice studies showed that gestures by speakers with aphasia were less informative than gestures by non-aphasic speakers.

    Academic text (2013)

Synonyms

sensory aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
1 9.2

Able to speak easily but say words that do not make sense and cannot understand speech or writing

is the general brain-caused inability to use or understand language broadly
dysphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A condition that makes it hard to speak or understand speech after brain damage

is the general condition that includes total inability as well as partial difficulty
Broca's aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A condition in which a person understands others but cannot speak or write well

covers broader language loss, not only expression problems with comprehension preserved
expressive aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A problem where a person has trouble speaking or writing but can still understand others

is the wider disorder causing both expression and understanding loss in various ways
conduction aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
1 7.8

A speech problem where a person speaks fluently but cannot repeat words or sentences because of brain damage

is the broader condition affecting language use and understanding beyond repeat problems
nominal aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
1 9.7

A condition that makes it hard to say or recognize common object names

is the broader disorder that affects many language tasks, not only naming
total aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
8.5

A complete loss of the ability to speak or understand language

is a general term that also covers less complete language loss
global aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
8.2

A severe loss of almost all ability to understand and use language after brain damage

is the broader category that also includes milder language impairments
Wernicke's aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.5

A condition in which a person speaks smoothly but their words have little meaning and cannot understand speech or writing

can mean loss of language ability beyond fluent but meaningless speech
receptive aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition where a person speaks in long sentences that do not make sense and cannot understand speech or writing

describes the broader medical inability to use or understand language in general
impressive aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

Fluent speech that has little meaning and very poor understanding of what others say or write

is the overall condition of language inability, not just the fluent meaningless type
fluent aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
8.6

Talking that sounds normal but uses wrong words and makes understanding language hard

is the broad medical loss of using or understanding words in any form
motor aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
8.5

A problem where a person cannot easily say or write words but can understand others

is the general language disorder that also includes comprehension problems
nonfluent aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition after a stroke that makes speaking and writing very hard while understanding often stays good

is the broader medical inability that can affect both production and understanding
visual aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.0

A problem that makes a person unable to understand written words despite normal eyesight

is the general condition affecting spoken and written language, not only written understanding
word deafness
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A problem where a person cannot understand speech even though hearing is normal

is a broader disorder that can affect speaking, reading, and listening
acoustic aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Archaic
8.3

A condition in which a person cannot understand speech despite normal hearing

is the general brain-related loss of using or understanding words across forms
auditory aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition that makes it hard to understand spoken language despite normal hearing due to brain damage

is the wider condition affecting both speech use and written comprehension as well
transcortical aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A language problem after brain damage that hurts speaking and understanding but often lets people repeat words

is the general language loss that can come from many brain damage sites
associative aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.1

A language problem where a person cannot repeat spoken sentences though they understand speech

is the broader condition that includes repeat problems but goes beyond them
ataxic aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

Severe trouble speaking and writing after brain damage such as a stroke

is the general language disorder not only caused by speech motor control issues
acataphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition in which a person cannot form clear sentences after brain injury

is the wider inability to use or understand language beyond organizing statements
amnesic aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A language problem that makes you unable to name objects or people

is the general language disorder that may affect many language functions beyond naming
amnestic aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

Difficulty naming objects in speech or writing

is the broad condition that can include naming trouble but also other losses
anomic aphasia
vsaphasia
  • Specialized
9.6

A condition that makes it hard to find names of objects while the person still understands speech

is the broader language disorder that can include full loss beyond word finding

Antonyms

8 3.0

A person's ability to speak or write a language easily and smoothly

Compounds

sensory aphasia
  • Specialized
1 9.2

Able to speak easily but say words that do not make sense and cannot understand speech or writing

Broca's aphasia
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A condition in which a person understands others but cannot speak or write well

conduction aphasia
  • Specialized
1 7.8

A speech problem where a person speaks fluently but cannot repeat words or sentences because of brain damage

expressive aphasia
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A problem where a person has trouble speaking or writing but can still understand others

nominal aphasia
  • Specialized
1 9.7

A condition that makes it hard to say or recognize common object names

8.3

A condition in which a person cannot understand speech despite normal hearing

amnesic aphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A language problem that makes you unable to name objects or people

amnestic aphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

Difficulty naming objects in speech or writing

anomic aphasia
  • Specialized
9.6

A condition that makes it hard to find names of objects while the person still understands speech

associative aphasia
  • Specialized
9.1

A language problem where a person cannot repeat spoken sentences though they understand speech

ataxic aphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

Severe trouble speaking and writing after brain damage such as a stroke

auditory aphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition that makes it hard to understand spoken language despite normal hearing due to brain damage

fluent aphasia
  • Specialized
8.6

Talking that sounds normal but uses wrong words and makes understanding language hard

motor aphasia
  • Specialized
8.5

A problem where a person cannot easily say or write words but can understand others

global aphasia
  • Specialized
8.2

A severe loss of almost all ability to understand and use language after brain damage

impressive aphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

Fluent speech that has little meaning and very poor understanding of what others say or write

nonfluent aphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition after a stroke that makes speaking and writing very hard while understanding often stays good

receptive aphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition where a person speaks in long sentences that do not make sense and cannot understand speech or writing

total aphasia
  • Specialized
8.5

A complete loss of the ability to speak or understand language

transcortical aphasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A language problem after brain damage that hurts speaking and understanding but often lets people repeat words

visual aphasia
  • Specialized
9.0

A problem that makes a person unable to understand written words despite normal eyesight

Wernicke's aphasia
  • Specialized
9.5

A condition in which a person speaks smoothly but their words have little meaning and cannot understand speech or writing

How Severe

aphasia
  • Specialized
10 9.1
dysphasia
  • Specialized
1 9.9
speech defect
  • Specialized
1 4.8

Surface Forms

aphasia singular
aphasias plural

Morphology

aphasia = phasia (opaque) = a + phasia

Though analyzable as a- (not) + phasia (speech), 'phasia' is a medical combining form not a familiar standalone word, so an average B1 learner cannot reliably derive the meaning.

Etymology

Aphasia comes from Greek parts a- meaning 'without' and phasia meaning 'speech', the same root as the common word phrase. So aphasia is 'without speech', which explains why it describes the loss of the ability to use or understand language after brain damage.