trauma

UK: /ˈtrɔːmə/ US: /ˈtraʊmə, ˈtrɔ-/ ,(trou′mə, trô′-)

Inflections of 'trauma' (n):

traumas

npl

traumata

npl

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

trau•ma /ˈtraʊmə, ˈtrɔ-/   n., pl. -mas, -ma•ta 

/-mətə/ .
1. Pathology
   • [countable] a wound to the body produced by physical injury, as from an attack:
     multiple traumas.
   • [uncountable] the condition produced by this:
     Check for signs of trauma on the victim.
2. Psychiatry [uncountable] distress to the mind or to one's emotions, usually from a disastrous event outside of usual experience, as rape or an airplane crash.
3. [countable] any very distressing experience, esp. one causing a disturbance in normal functioning.

trau•mat•ic /traʊˈmætɪk, trɔ-, trə-/  adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

trau•ma  (trou′mə, trô′-), n., pl. -mas, -ma•ta 

(-mə tə). 
1. [Pathol.]
   • a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident.
   • the condition produced by this;
     traumatism.
2. Psychiatry
   • an experience that produces psychological injury or pain.
   • the psychological injury so caused.

• Greek traûma wound
• 1685–95

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

trauma / ˈtrɔːmə/ noun ( -mata / -mətə/, -mas)

1. a powerful shock that may have long-lasting effects
2. any bodily injury or wound

Etymology: 18th Century: from Greek: a wound

traumatic / trɔːˈmætɪk/ adjective

trauˈmatically adverb