Meanings
nounepilepsy (countable and uncountable, plural epilepsies)
plural epilepsies
- countableuncountablemedicineA medical condition in which the sufferer experiences seizures (or convulsions) and blackouts.
Epilepsies, or fallings and reelings, and beastly vomitings. The least of these, even when the tongue begins to be untied, is a degree of drunkenness.
1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC
Origin
- Ancient Greekἐπιληψίᾱ
- Latinepilēpsia
- Frenchépilepsie
- Englishepilepsy
Since 16th century; borrowed from French épilepsie, from Latin epilēpsia, from Ancient Greek ἐπιληψίᾱ (epilēpsíā), from ἐπιλαμβάνω (epilambánō, “to seize”), from ἐπι- (epi-, “upon”) + λαμβάνω (lambánō, “to take”). Displaced native Old English fiellesēocnes (literally “falling sickness”).
More words from French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἐπιληψία
- ἐπιληψία (epilēpsía)medical condition
Arabic صَرْع
- صَرْع (ṣarʕ)medical condition
Bengali মৃগীরোগ
- মৃগীরোগ (mrigirōg)medical condition
Catalan epilèpsia
- epilèpsiamedical condition
Chinese Mandarin 羊癲瘋 /羊癫疯, 癲癇 /癫痫
- 羊癲瘋 /羊癫疯 (yángdiānfēng)medical condition
- 癲癇 /癫痫 (diānxián)medical condition
- 癲癇癥 /癫痫症 (diānxiánzhèng)medical condition
- 羊癇 /羊痫 (yángxián)medical condition
- 羊癇瘋 /羊痫疯 (yángxiánfēng)medical condition
- 羊角風 /羊角风 (yángjiǎofēng)medical condition
Czech epilepsie
- epilepsiemedical condition
Danish epilepsi, ligfald
- epilepsimedical condition
- ligfaldmedical condition
- faldende sygemedical condition
Dutch epilepsie, vallende ziekte
- epilepsiemedical condition
- vallende ziektemedical condition
Esperanto epilepsio
- epilepsiomedical condition
Estonian epilepsia, langetõbi
- epilepsiamedical condition
- langetõbimedical condition
Finnish epilepsia
- epilepsiamedical condition
French épilepsie, mal caduc
- épilepsiemedical condition
- mal caducmedical condition
German Epilepsie, Fallsucht
- Epilepsiemedical condition
- Fallsuchtmedical condition
Greek επιληψία
- επιληψία (epilipsía)medical condition
Hindi अपस्मार, मिर्गी
- अपस्मार (apasmār)medical condition
- मिर्गी (mirgī)medical condition
Hungarian epilepszia
- epilepsziamedical condition
Icelandic flogaveiki, flog
- flogaveikimedical condition
- flogmedical condition
- niðurfallssýkimedical condition
Indonesian epilepsi, ayan
- epilepsimedical condition
- ayanmedical condition
Irish titimeas, an bhreoiteacht mhór
- titimeasmedical condition
- an bhreoiteacht mhórmedical condition
- galar titimeachmedical condition
- galar Póilmedical condition
- galar talmhaímedical condition
- an tinneas beannaithemedical condition
- an tinneas mórmedical condition
- tinneas Póilmedical condition
- tinneas talúnmedical condition
Italian epilessia
- epilessiamedical condition
Japanese 癲癇
- 癲癇 (tenkan)medical condition
Latin epilēpsia
- epilēpsiamedical condition
Malay epilepsi, gila babi
- epilepsimedical condition
- gila babimedical condition
- sawanmedical condition
Māori (mate)hukihuki, hūkiki
- (mate)hukihukimedical condition
- hūkikimedical condition
Norwegian Bokmål epilepsi
- epilepsimedical condition
Persian صرع
- صرع (sar')medical condition
Polish padaczka, epilepsja
- padaczkamedical condition
- epilepsjamedical condition
Portuguese epilepsia
- epilepsiamedical condition
Russian эпиле́псия, паду́чая
- эпиле́псия (epilépsija)medical condition
- паду́чая (padúčaja)medical condition
Scottish Gaelic tuiteamas
- tuiteamasmedical condition
Spanish epilepsia, gota caduca
- epilepsiamedical condition
- gota caducamedical condition
- gota coralmedical condition
- mal caducomedical condition
Swahili kifafa
- kifafamedical condition
Swedish epilepsi
- epilepsimedical condition
Tagalog kisay, gotakural
- kisaymedical condition
- gotakuralmedical condition
Thai ลมชัก, ลมบ้าหมู
- ลมชัก (lom-chák)medical condition
- ลมบ้าหมู (lom-bâa-mǔu)medical condition
Turkish tutarak, tutarık
- tutarakmedical condition
- tutarıkmedical condition
- tutargamedical condition
- yilbikmedical condition
- saramedical condition
- epilepsimedical condition
Ukrainian епіле́псія
- епіле́псія (epilépsija)medical condition
Urdu مِرْگی, صَرْع
- مِرْگی (mirgī)medical condition
- صَرْع (sar')medical condition
Vietnamese bệnh động kinh, hội chứng động kinh
- bệnh động kinhmedical condition
- hội chứng động kinhmedical condition
Welsh epilepsi
- epilepsimedical condition
Yiddish ניכפּה
- ניכפּה (nikhpe)medical condition
Cite this entry
APA
epilepsy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epilepsy
MLA
“epilepsy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epilepsy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epilepsy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epilepsy.
Source: epilepsy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.