apnea

IPA/ˈæp.ni.ə/
KK[ˈæpniə]IPA/ˈæp.ni.ə/

apnea — noun

1. A medical condition in which a person temporarily stops breathing, most commonly

1.nounC1
Definition

A medical condition in which a person temporarily stops breathing, most commonly during sleep, often causing loud snoring and extreme daytime tiredness.

Example

Brian's sleep apnea kept waking him at night, so he decided to see a doctor.

collocation: sleep apnea

The baby had a mild form of apnea and needed monitoring for a few weeks.

Common collocations
  • sleep apnea
  • obstructive sleep apnea
  • central sleep apnea
  • apnea episode
  • apnea monitor
  • have / suffer from apnea
  • diagnose apnea
  • treat apnea
  • apnea patient
Synonyms
  • sleep-disordered breathing

    broader term covering various breathing issues during sleep, not limited to full pauses

  • respiratory arrest

    far more serious — complete, often prolonged stopping of breathing; not typically used for sleep apnea

Grammar Patterns

apnea + noun (sleep apnea clinic)

have / suffer from + apnea

Usage Note

In American English, the spelling is 'apnea'; British English uses 'apnoea'. The term most commonly appears in the compound 'sleep apnea'. This sense is uncountable — you cannot say 'an apnea'. However, 'an episode of apnea' is acceptable in medical writing.

Common Mistakes

He has a sleep apnea.
He has sleep apnea.
'apnea' is an uncountable noun and does not take 'a' or 'an'.
She suffers from apnea during the night time sleep.
She suffers from sleep apnea.
The standard medical term is 'sleep apnea', not 'nighttime apnea'.

Word family

  • apneic
    adjectiveC1
  • apnoea
    nounC1
  • apnoeic
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Apnea' refers specifically to a full pause in breathing, while 'hypopnea' means breathing that is too shallow. 'Sleep-disordered breathing' is a broader category covering both apnea and hypopnea, along with snoring-related issues. 'Respiratory arrest' is a medical emergency where breathing stops completely and requires immediate resuscitation — it is far more serious than the temporary pauses of sleep apnea. For example, a sleep apnea patient may experience dozens of apneic events per night without needing emergency care, whereas a respiratory arrest patient needs urgent help within minutes.

apnea ↗sleep-disordered breathingrespiratory arresthypopnea

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sleep apnea
  • apnea episode
  • apnea monitor
  • CPAP machine
  • breathing pause

Adverbs

Phrases

  • suffer from apnea
  • diagnose with apnea
  • treat apnea
  • apnea risk factor

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

From modern Latin 'apnoea', adapted from Greek 'apnoia' (ἄπνοια), where 'a-' means 'without' and 'pnoē' means 'breath' or 'wind'. The term entered English medical writing around the early 1700s. The condition now known as sleep apnea was first described in medical literature in the 19th century, though the word 'apnea' itself had been used for centuries to describe any temporary breathing stoppage.

First known use

1719

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1