Definition

1. Noun:
   • The absence of the sense of smell: A medical condition characterized by the complete or partial loss of the ability to detect odors. This can result from damage to the olfactory system or from a physical obstruction in the nose.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The head injury resulted in temporary anosmia.
  • A common symptom of COVID-19 is sudden anosmia.
  • Nasal polyps can cause anosmia by blocking the nasal passages.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: The term is primarily used in medical, scientific, and clinical discussions to describe a specific sensory deficit.
  • The study focused on the neurological causes of post-traumatic anosmia.
• Qualifiers: Often modified by adjectives specifying cause or duration (e.g., congenital anosmia, permanent anosmia, post-viral anosmia).
  • She was born with congenital anosmia.

Variants and Related Words

• Anosmic (adj): Relating to or suffering from anosmia.
  • The anosmic patient could not detect the gas leak.
• Hyposmia (n): A reduced sense of smell, as opposed to a complete absence.
  • Hyposmia is less severe than total anosmia.

Synonyms

• Loss of smell: The general, non-technical phrase for the condition.
• Olfactory dysfunction: A broader term that includes anosmia and other smell disorders.

Antonyms

• Normosmia (n): A normal sense of smell.
• Hyperosmia (n): An abnormally heightened sense of smell.

Noun

1. absence of the sense of smell (as by damage to olfactory nasal tissue or the olfactory nerve or by obstruction of the nasal passages)