somnambulation

9.9

Walking while asleep and not aware of it

noun
/sɑːmˌnæm.bjʊˈleɪ.ʃən/

: somnambulismo

His somnambulation often takes him to the kitchen at night without him realizing it.

Examples

During her somnambulation, she once walked out into the backyard, much to her surprise the next morning.
The doctor explained that somnambulation is a common sleep disorder in children.
As the end of August approaches, the somnambulation of the markets should be slowly diminishing.

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Synonyms

sleepwalking

vssomnambulation

11 3.9

Walking or doing other things while asleep and not remembering it later

focuses on walking only rather than other sleep actions

somnambulism

vssomnambulation

Specialized

1 9.9

To walk while asleep without remembering it

is the same act but uses a different common form

noctambulation

vssomnambulation

Specialized

9.9

To walk while you are asleep

is the same act but is the original headword form

noctambulism

vssomnambulation

Specialized

9.9

A sleep condition in which a person walks while they are asleep

is the same act but prefers the specific headword form

somnambulatory behavior

vssomnambulation

Specialized

9.9

Walking or doing things while asleep without knowing it

refers specifically to the act of walking rather than any sleep actions

Antonyms

wakefulness

4 4.7

A period when you are not sleeping, often because you cannot fall asleep at night

Surface Forms

somnambulation singular

somnambulations plural

Morphology

somnambulation = somnambulate (opaque) = somn + ambul + ation

The verb 'somnambulate' and its parts (somn- 'sleep' and ambul- 'walk') are Latin combining forms that are not recognizable or productive for an average B1 learner, so the meaning cannot be reliably derived.

Etymology

The word somnambulation comes from Latin parts somn- ('sleep') and ambulare ('to walk') and is related to the simple English word amble, which means a slow walk. So somnambulation literally means 'walking while asleep', which is why it is the term for sleepwalking.