What does enuresis mean?
Enuresis is the medical term for involuntary urination, most familiar to the public as bed-wetting during sleep. The word belongs primarily to formal clinical registers — paediatricians, psychologists, and urologists use it where lay speakers would say "wetting the bed". Specialists further classify it as nocturnal (during sleep) or diurnal (while awake), and as primary (the child has never been consistently dry) or secondary (dryness was achieved and then lost). Far from being rare or shameful, enuresis is a normal developmental stage: a substantial proportion of young children wet the bed, and most outgrow it without intervention, though moisture alarms, bladder training, and occasionally medication are used when it persists. Its Greek etymology — from en- ("in") and ourein ("to urinate") — gives English one of its more precise clinical coinages, alongside relatives such as diuresis. Knowing the word helps parents read medical literature calmly and accurately.
nounInvoluntary urination, especially by children at night; the medical term for bed-wetting when it occurs during sleep.
- Involuntary discharge of urine, especially during sleep in children (nocturnal enuresis).
- More broadly, any involuntary urination, whether by day or night.
"The paediatrician reassured the parents that nocturnal enuresis is common in young children and usually resolves on its own."
"Nocturnal enuresis affects roughly fifteen per cent of five-year-olds and typically resolves without treatment."
"The clinic specialises in behavioural therapies for childhood enuresis, including moisture alarms and bladder training."
Rarely used; the word normally functions as an uncountable mass noun referring to the condition generally.
"Recurrent nocturnal enureses prompted referral to a specialist clinic."
The word for bed-wetting comes from Greek roots meaning literally 'to make water into' — a clinical euphemism so tidy it hides the midnight laundry crisis entirely.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enuresis
Enuresis derives from Greek enourein, "to urinate in", formed from en- ("in") plus ourein ("to urinate"), which in turn comes from ouron ("urine"). The term entered scientific Latin before passing into English medical vocabulary, becoming established by the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It shares its Greek root ourein with other clinical terms such as diuresis (excessive urination), anuresis (failure to urinate), and the broader family of urological vocabulary.
Related word forms
How enuresis is actually used
A formal medical term used chiefly in paediatric and psychiatric contexts; everyday speech prefers "bed-wetting". Clinicians distinguish primary enuresis (never having achieved reliable dryness) from secondary enuresis (relapse after a dry period). The adjective "enuretic" describes both sufferers and related phenomena.
Easily confused with enuresis
"Enuresis" means involuntary urination, while "inure" (sometimes spelled "enure") is a verb meaning to accustom someone to something unpleasant.
"Anuresis" refers to the inability or failure to urinate, whereas "enuresis" is involuntary urination — near-opposite conditions with similar spellings.