injury

noun

in·​ju·​ry ˈin-j(ə-)rē How to pronounce injury (audio)
plural injuries
1
: hurt, damage, or loss sustained
2
a
: an act that damages or hurts : wrong
b
: violation of another's rights for which the law allows an action to recover damages
Choose the Right Synonym for injury

injustice, injury, wrong, grievance mean an act that inflicts undeserved hurt.

injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

wrong applies also in law to any act punishable according to the criminal code; it may apply more generally to any flagrant injustice.

determined to right society's wrongs

grievance applies to a circumstance or condition that constitutes an injustice to the sufferer and gives just ground for complaint.

a list of employee grievances

Examples of injury in a Sentence

Hikers need to take sensible precautions to prevent injury. She's concerned about the risk of injury to her reputation. The team has been weakened by illness and injury. Careless use of these tools can cause serious bodily injury. She survived the accident without injury. She fell and suffered an injury to her arm. His athletic career has been slowed by injuries.
Recent Examples on the Web Throughout the weekend, authorities marked a grim rise in the death count— as recovery teams discovered additional bodies and other victims succumbed to injuries. Charles Maynes, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024 One other note on Tagovailoa: His trainer, Nick Hicks, said on social media that the team asked Tagovailoa to bulk up last season to reduce the risk of injury. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024 Phoenix firefighters were on scene of the collision and said early information indicated one person died and multiple patients suffered critical injuries, the department announced shortly before 3 a.m. on X. Officials did not release names of anyone involved in the crash. Michelle Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2024 Harvard-Westlake has found a way to go 13-1-1 even though its No. 1 pitcher, Thomas Bridges, has been sidelined by an injury. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 Russell missed the match with a hamstring injury sustained in the second half of last week’s 2-1 win over San Jose. Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2024 Owen was burned and died of her injuries two days later. USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024 Even Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas, who broke into the NHL with Tampa Bay, participated in a non-contact jersey for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury March 14. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 23 Mar. 2024 Just last month in San Francisco, a driverless Waymo car crashed into a cyclist, causing minor injuries. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'injury.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English injurie, from Anglo-French, Latin injuria, from injurus injurious, from in- + jur-, jus right — more at just

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of injury was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near injury

Cite this Entry

“Injury.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/injury. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

injury

noun
in·​ju·​ry ˈinj-(ə-)rē How to pronounce injury (audio)
plural injuries
1
: an act that damages or hurts : wrong
2
: hurt, damage, or loss received

Medical Definition

injury

noun
in·​ju·​ry ˈinj-(ə-)rē How to pronounce injury (audio)
plural injuries
: hurt, damage, or loss sustained

Legal Definition

injury

noun
in·​ju·​ry
plural injuries
1
: an act that wrongs or harms another
specifically : a violation of a legally protected interest (as the physical or mental well-being, property, reputation, or rights of another) for which the law allows an action for legal or equitable relief
2
: hurt, damage, or loss sustained
Etymology

Latin injuria, from injurus injurious, from in- not + jur-, jus right

More from Merriam-Webster on injury

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