Anamnesis
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The ability to recall past events; recollection. countable, uncountable
- 2 the ability to recall past occurrences wordnet
- 3 The remembrance and celebration of God’s works by the liturgy of the church. countable, uncountable
- 4 the case history of a medical patient as recalled by the patient wordnet
- 5 A patient's account of their medical history. countable, uncountable
"1898, Francis H. Stuart (translator), Oswald Vierordt, A Clinical Text-book of Medical Diagnosis for Physicians and Students, 4th Edition, [1897, O. Vierordt, Diagnostik der Innerer Krankheiten, 5th Edition], W. B. Saunders, page 19, But it is always well for the beginner to secure as complete an anamnesis, or prior history, as possible, in order that he may allow nothing of importance to escape his attention. The anamnesis generally begins with and involves the question as to whether the disease is acute or chronic, what organs are affected or inclined to be diseased."
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- 6 The recollection of innate knowledge acquired before birth, according to Plato’s theory of epistemology. countable, uncountable
"1990, Stewart Umphrey, Zetetic Skepticism, Longwood Academic, page 13, There are also reasons for thinking that Socratic anamnesis, inquiry and learning are quite unlike anamnesis, inquiry and learning as ordinarily understood."
- 7 The mention of the past; quotation of exemplary authors from memory to establish one’s authority. countable, rhetoric, uncountable
Example
More examples"1898, Francis H. Stuart (translator), Oswald Vierordt, A Clinical Text-book of Medical Diagnosis for Physicians and Students, 4th Edition, [1897, O. Vierordt, Diagnostik der Innerer Krankheiten, 5th Edition], W. B. Saunders, page 19, But it is always well for the beginner to secure as complete an anamnesis, or prior history, as possible, in order that he may allow nothing of importance to escape his attention. The anamnesis generally begins with and involves the question as to whether the disease is acute or chronic, what organs are affected or inclined to be diseased."
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀνάμνησις (anámnēsis, “remembrance”), verbal noun of ἀναμιμνήσκω (anamimnḗskō), from ἀνα- (ana-) + μιμνῄσκω (mimnēískō, “call to mind”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.