What does anosmia mean?
Anosmia is the medical term for the partial or complete loss of the sense of smell. It may be temporary, as when a viral infection such as COVID-19 inflames the olfactory system, or permanent, resulting from head injury, nasal disease, neurological conditions, or certain medications. Some people are born without a sense of smell, a condition known as congenital anosmia. The word entered public consciousness during the pandemic, when sudden smell loss became one of the most distinctive symptoms of infection. Beyond its clinical importance, anosmia has practical consequences: smell serves as a warning system for smoke, gas leaks, and spoiled food, and it contributes profoundly to the perception of flavour, which is why many people with anosmia also report that food seems bland. Related terms include hyposmia (a reduced sense of smell) and parosmia (a distorted one).
nounThe partial or complete inability to perceive odours; the medical term for loss of the sense of smell.
- Complete or partial loss of the ability to smell, whether temporary (as after a viral infection) or permanent (as from head trauma or congenital causes).
"After the viral infection, she developed anosmia and could no longer detect the aroma of her morning coffee."
"Following his bout of COVID-19, he experienced anosmia for several weeks before his sense of smell gradually returned."
"Congenital anosmia means some people have never smelled anything at all — not roses, not rain, not smoke."
Rarely pluralised; usually treated as an uncountable condition. A plural form appears only when distinguishing multiple distinct cases or types.
"The clinic documented several distinct anosmias, each traced to a different cause."
People with anosmia can't smell smoke, gas leaks, or spoiled food — one lost sense that quietly removes three built-in alarms.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anosmia
Anosmia derives from Greek: the negative prefix 'an-' ('without') combined with 'osmē', meaning smell or odour. It was formed as a scientific compound, likely in the nineteenth century, when medical terminology drew heavily on Greek roots to name sensory disorders. The same Greek root 'osmē' gives us related terms such as hyperosmia (heightened smell), dysosmia (distorted smell), and even the element name osmium, which was named for its pungent odour.
Related word forms
How anosmia is actually used
A clinical term used in medicine and neurology, but widely recognised by the general public since the COVID-19 pandemic made sudden smell loss a well-known symptom. It carries no emotional connotation itself, though it describes a condition that can significantly affect quality of life, including safety and enjoyment of food.
Easily confused with anosmia
Hyposmia refers to a reduced or diminished sense of smell, whereas anosmia is the total or near-total absence of it.
Ageusia is the loss of the sense of taste, while anosmia is the loss of the sense of smell — though the two are often experienced together because flavour depends heavily on smell.