traumatic brain injury

noun

: an acquired brain injury caused by external force (such as a blow to the head sustained in a motor vehicle accident or fall or shrapnel or a bullet entering through the skull)
Traumatic brain injury occurs when the shock from an explosion damages neurological fibers. Soldiers may survive a blast with scarcely a cut, only to find over time that they suffer coordination and memory loss, dizziness, insomnia.Nancy Gibbs
An unprotected fall, especially if the player is unconscious or his opponent lands on top of him, can result in severe traumatic brain injury.Michael J. Stuart et al.
broadly : acquired brain injury
abbreviation TBI

Examples of traumatic brain injury in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Hwang suffered a traumatic brain injury from the attack, leading to ataxia, a neurological disorder that impairs movement and muscle control, and occasional seizures. Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 She was knocked unconscious, suffered a traumatic brain injury, and died after being taken off life support on July 1, records show. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Kate Bailey, left, and Deputy Patrick Bailey CBS Since the crash, Bailey has undergone extensive medical treatment after suffering multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 30 July 2026 Veterans with traumatic brain injuries, the signature wound of the Iran war, may also be more likely to drink excessively, according to a 2020 study from the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion at Syracuse University. Steven Beynon, ABC News, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for traumatic brain injury

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of traumatic brain injury was in 1931

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Cite this Entry

“Traumatic brain injury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traumatic%20brain%20injury. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Medical Definition

traumatic brain injury

noun
: an acquired brain injury caused by external force (as a blow to the head sustained in a motor vehicle accident or fall or shrapnel or a bullet entering through the skull)
A soldier—or a civilian—can survive the blast without a single penetrating wound and still receive the worst diagnosis: traumatic brain injury, or TBI, the signature injury of the Iraq War.Michael Mason, Discover
An unprotected fall, especially if the player is unconscious or his opponent lands on top of him, can result in severe traumatic brain injury.Michael J. Stuart et al., USA Today
broadly : acquired brain injury
abbreviation TBI
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