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injury

n.
US //ˈɪndʒɝi// UK //ˈɪndʒəɹi// in·jury
  1. 1 physical damage (n.)
    A2 Elementary Medicine

    physical damage to a person's or animal's body.

    physical harm or damage to a living organism, typically caused by an external force or accident.

    Example

    He suffered a serious knee injury while playing football last Saturday.

    Example

    The medical report confirmed that the patient had sustained a severe spinal injury during the collision, requiring immediate surgical intervention.
  2. 2 emotional harm (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    damage to someone's feelings or mental health.

    psychological or emotional harm sustained by an individual.

    Example

    The harsh criticism caused her deep emotional injury.

    Example

    Psychologists argue that the long-term psychological injury caused by childhood neglect can manifest in various ways during adulthood.
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  1. 3 legal or reputational harm (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Law

    damage to someone's rights, property, or good name.

    the violation of a person's legal rights, reputation, or interests.

    Example

    The newspaper was sued for the injury to the actor's reputation.

    Example

    The plaintiff sought compensation for the injury to his commercial interests resulting from the defendant's breach of contract.
Origin

From Middle English injurie, from Anglo-Norman injurie, from Latin iniūria (“injustice; wrong; offense”), from in- (“not”) + iūs, iūris (“right, law”). Doublet of injuria.

Idioms1 entry

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