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anomia

/əˈnoʊmiə/
IPA guide

Other forms: anomias

Anomia is a brain disorder that makes it hard to remember the names of people and objects. Anomia can sometimes be a symptom of a tumor or stroke.

Anomia is a very specific kind of memory loss, which makes sufferers remember people but forget their names, or know what something is but be unable to come up with what it's called. It's usually caused by some brain trauma, like an accident or cancer. Although there is a word spelled the same way in Greek, anomia is formed from two Latin roots, a-, "without," and nomen, "name."

Definitions of anomia
  1. noun
    inability to name objects or to recognize written or spoken names of objects
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    type of:
    aphasia
    inability to use or understand language (spoken or written) because of a brain lesion
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