Ataxia
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 Lack of coordination while performing voluntary movements, which may appear to be clumsiness, inaccuracy, or instability. countable, uncountable
"Cerebellar dysfunction is characterized by truncal ataxia, a broad-based stance, dysmetria in which the limbs either overstep (hypermetria) or understep (hypometria), and tremor that is most pronounced when the animal attempts a goal-orientated movement (intention tremor)."
- 2 inability to coordinate voluntary muscle movements; unsteady movements and staggering gait wordnet
- 3 The condition of a polymer in which the orientation of the subunits is random countable, physical, uncountable
- 4 Disorder; irregularity. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"1569, John Leslie, A Defence of the Honour of the Right Highe, Mightye and Noble Princesse Marie Quene of Scotlande, Rheims, Book 3, Ye frame an other argumente of inconueniences, as thowghe vnder the womans regimente, Ataxia, that ys to saye disorder moste commonlye creapethe in."
Example
More examples"Cerebellar dysfunction is characterized by truncal ataxia, a broad-based stance, dysmetria in which the limbs either overstep (hypermetria) or understep (hypometria), and tremor that is most pronounced when the animal attempts a goal-orientated movement (intention tremor)."
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀταξία (ataxía, “disorder”), derived from ἄτακτος (átaktos, “disorderly”).
Related phrases
More for "ataxia"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.