Willa CatherWarren E. LearyAda BrownellMark PurcellJohn C. Culver 
Did you know?
What Can atrophy?
From its literal Greek roots, atrophy would mean basically "lack of nourishment". Although the English word doesn't usually imply any lack of food, it always refers to a wasting away. Those who have been bedridden for a period of time will notice that their muscles have atrophied. And muscular atrophy is a frequent result of such diseases as cancer and AIDS. We also use atrophy in a much more general sense. After being out of work a few years, you may find your work skills have atrophied; someone who's been living an isolated life may discover the same thing about his or her social skills; and a democracy can atrophy when its citizens cease to pay attention to how they're being governed.
Examples of atrophy in a Sentence
Nicholas Eberstadt, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2024
Susannah Rosen, now 10 years old, has rare mutations in a gene called KIF1A, which is associated with intellectual disability, spastic limbs, and atrophy of nerve cells in the brain and eye.
—Brittany Trang, STAT, 9 Aug. 2024
Jared Del Rosso, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024
Over time, the federal government abandoned a policy of managing production to support prices, prompting growers to become more export-oriented while local distribution networks atrophied.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for atrophy 
Dictionary Entries Near atrophy
Cite this Entry
“Atrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrophy. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
atrophy
1 of 2 noun
Share