What does anaemia mean?
Anaemia is a common medical condition in which the blood's capacity to carry oxygen is reduced, usually because of too few red blood cells or too little haemoglobin. People with anaemia often experience fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, and noticeable pallor, since the body's tissues receive less oxygen than they need. The condition has many causes, including iron deficiency, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, chronic disease, and inherited disorders such as sickle-cell anaemia and thalassaemia. The term derives from Greek roots meaning 'without blood', reflecting early ideas about the loss of vital fluid. In British and Commonwealth English it is spelled 'anaemia', while American English uses 'anemia'; both refer to exactly the same condition. Because it affects roughly a quarter of the world's population at any given time, anaemia remains one of the most frequently diagnosed conditions worldwide, making the word essential reading in health reporting and everyday medical discussion.
nounA medical condition in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen, typically due to a deficiency of red blood cells or haemoglobin, resulting in fatigue and pallor. It is the British English spelling of the condition also written 'anemia' in American English.
- A medical condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells or haemoglobin, reducing the blood's capacity to carry oxygen and causing symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and pallor.
"Her persistent tiredness was finally explained when tests revealed she had iron-deficiency anaemia."
"The doctor prescribed iron supplements after diagnosing her with mild anaemia."
"Chronic anaemia left him breathless after even the slightest exertion."
Rarely used in the plural; 'anaemias' may appear in clinical writing to refer collectively to different types of the condition, but singular usage dominates.
"The textbook devotes a chapter to the various anaemias and their underlying causes."
The word literally means 'no blood' in Greek — ancient physicians believed anaemia meant the body had somehow lost its vital fluid.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anaemia
Anaemia comes from the Greek 'anaimia', formed from 'an-' (without) and 'haima' (blood), so the word literally means 'lack of blood'. The term entered European medical vocabulary via New Latin in the early modern period, with the anglicised form appearing in English around the seventeenth century as physicians adopted Greek diagnostic terminology. It shares its root 'haima' with a whole family of blood-related words, including haemoglobin, haemophilia, haemorrhage, and haematology, all of which preserve the Greek origin in their spelling.
Related word forms
How anaemia is actually used
In British English, Irish English, and most Commonwealth usage, 'anaemia' is standard; American publications overwhelmingly use 'anemia'. The word carries a clinical register and appears almost exclusively in medical or health-related contexts rather than everyday conversation.
Easily confused with anaemia
'Anemia' is simply the American English spelling of the same medical condition, while 'anaemia' is the British English spelling.
Ischaemia refers to an inadequate blood supply to a tissue or organ, whereas anaemia refers to the blood's reduced oxygen-carrying capacity.