Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

near-death experience

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.84 in modern English

Syllables: near-death -ex-pe-ri-ence
IPA

34

Scrabble Score

19

Letters

6

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A sensation of detachment from one's body, the presence of a tunnel of light, the apparent viewing of one's own body from on high, and similar manifestations, experienced by people whose heart and brain have temporarily ceased to function.

Example Sentences

"Everybody has the same story of the near-death experience—my entire life flashed in front of me, the white light and all that—but no one really knows it."

Etymology

Coined by John C. Lilly in 1972, and popularized by Raymond Moody from 1975.

Inflected Forms

near-death experiences (plural) near death experience (alternative)

Derived Forms

NDEer

Synonyms

NDE

Questions

What does near-death experience mean?: A sensation of detachment from one's body, the presence of a tunnel of light, the apparent viewing of one's own body from on high, and similar manifestations, experienced by people whose heart and brain have temporarily ceased to function.
Where does near-death experience come from?: Coined by John C. Lilly in 1972, and popularized by Raymond Moody from 1975.

How to pronounce near-death experience

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