Amnesiac

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. An individual who has lost the ability to remember personal experiences and past events, often due to a psychological or neurological condition
2. A person who suffers from significant memory impairment, leading to difficulties in recalling previous actions and personal identity
3. Someone who cannot recall previous personal experiences or important past information due to a condition

Etymology: "Amnesiac" is built from "amnesia," which comes from Greek "amnēsia," meaning "forgetfulness," formed from "a-," meaning "without," and "mnēsis," meaning "memory." The "-ac" ending, from Greek "-akos," turns the noun into an adjective and person-noun meaning someone affected by the condition, so the word describes a sufferer rather than the condition itself. The word is a straightforward formation on a classical base, so its interest lies mainly in its parts. The same root "mnēmē" (memory) gave English "mnemonic," a device for aiding recall, so the two words are close relatives that point in opposite directions: one describes a memory aid, the other the loss of memory.

Synonyms: forgetful, memory-impaired

Antonyms: remembering, recollective