What does apnea mean?
Apnea refers to a temporary cessation of breathing — a pause in respiration that may last from a few seconds to more than a minute. It is most widely encountered in the context of sleep disorders: obstructive sleep apnea occurs when relaxed tissues block the airway during sleep, causing repeated interruptions in breathing that fragment rest and strain the cardiovascular system. Central apnea, by contrast, arises when the brain momentarily fails to send the signals that drive breathing. Beyond pathology, the term also describes deliberate breath-holding, as practiced by free divers who push human endurance to remarkable limits. The word comes from Greek roots meaning 'without breath' and entered English through medical Latin. Its adjective form is apneic, and British English uses the variant spelling apnoea. Because it names a condition with significant health consequences, apnea is an important term in both clinical settings and everyday health discussions.
nounA temporary cessation of breathing, especially during sleep. In medicine, it refers to pauses in respiration that can occur involuntarily or be deliberately induced, as in breath-hold diving.
- A temporary stoppage of breathing, especially during sleep (sleep apnea).
- A voluntary suspension of breathing, as practiced by free divers or in certain medical procedures.
"The sleep study revealed that the patient experienced dozens of episodes of apnea each night."
"His loud snoring turned out to be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea."
"The free diver's ability to sustain apnea for several minutes astonished the researchers."
The plural is used mainly in clinical contexts when counting discrete episodes of breathing cessation, e.g., during a sleep study.
"The polysomnogram recorded more than thirty apneas per hour."
Free divers train to hold their breath for over ten minutes — a feat of voluntary apnea that pushes the limits of human physiology.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apnea
The word apnea derives from the Ancient Greek ἄπνοια (ápnoia), formed from the privative prefix a- ('without') and pnoē ('breath' or 'breathing'), itself rooted in the verb pneō ('to breathe'). It passed into New Latin before entering English medical vocabulary in the early modern period. Cognates sharing the same Greek root include dyspnea (difficult breathing) and eupnea (normal, unlabored breathing), all built on the pneō stem.
Related word forms
How apnea is actually used
Apnea is primarily used in medical and physiological contexts. The spelling 'apnoea' is standard in British English, while 'apnea' predominates in American English. The term carries a clinical register rather than casual usage; everyday speakers are more likely to say someone 'stopped breathing' than that they experienced apnea. The word frequently appears in compound medical terms such as obstructive sleep apnea and central apnea.
Easily confused with apnea
Dyspnea is difficult or labored breathing, while apnea is the complete absence of breathing.
Apnoea is simply the British spelling of the same word; there is no difference in meaning.