Karen W. Arenson
Did you know?
Trauma is the Greek word for "wound". Although the Greeks used the term only for physical injuries, nowadays trauma is just as likely to refer to emotional wounds. We now know that a traumatic event can leave psychological symptoms long after any physical injuries have healed. The psychological reaction to severe emotional trauma now has an established name: post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. It usually occurs after an extremely stressful event, such as wartime combat, a natural disaster, or sexual or physical abuse; its symptoms include depression, anxiety, flashbacks, and recurring nightmares.
Examples of trauma in a Sentence
JSTOR Daily, 13 Oct. 2025
From Seattle to Baltimore, many Americans were celebrating Monday as Indigenous Peoples Day, determined to see it as a triumph of perseverance over centuries marked by trauma.
—Terry Tang, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2025
Some had sustained rib fractures and eye trauma, said PRCS spokesman Hassan Silwadi.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025
Gooding noted that the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board reached a different interpretation of law, namely that because Gandy was hired by at least one team in California, his cumulative trauma injury period is covered by California law.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trauma
Cite this Entry
“Trauma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trauma. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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Medical Definition
M. R. Eichelberger
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