Down syndrome

noun

variants or Down's syndrome

: a congenital condition characterized especially by developmental delays, usually mild to moderate impairment in cognitive functioning, short stature, upward slanting eyes, a flattened nasal bridge, broad hands with short fingers, decreased muscle tone, and by trisomy of the human chromosome numbered 21

called also trisomy 21

Examples of Down syndrome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From the December 2020 issue: The last children of Down syndrome Even if the science does catch up to the ambitions of companies like Genomic Prediction, genetics will never guarantee a child a healthy life. —Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025

Developmental disabilities include autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and spina bifida, among other conditions. —Caitlin Granfield, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025

Those affected by the energy crisis include educational institutions like the Triangle Foundation, in Quito, which provides schooling and job training to people with Down syndrome, moving them into employment. —José María León Cabrera, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024

Jana Wolfe lives in Springfield, Missouri, and said her daughter Heather Ramsey, who has Down syndrome, has worked at a community hospital making the minimum wage and at a sheltered workshop making a subminimum wage. —Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

J. L. H. Down †1896 English physician

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Down syndrome

noun

ˈdau̇n-

variants or Down's syndrome

ˈdau̇n(z)-

: a genetic condition characterized especially by developmental delays, by distinctive physical traits (as short stature and upward slanting eyes), and by the presence of three chromosomes numbered 21 in human beings

Etymology

named for J.L.H. Down, 1828–1896, English doctor

Medical Definition

Down syndrome

noun

variants or Down's syndrome

: a congenital condition characterized especially by developmental delays, usually mild to moderate impairment in cognitive functioning, short stature, relatively small head, upward slanting eyes usually with epicanthal folds, flattened nasal bridge, broad hands with short fingers, decreased muscle tone, and by trisomy of the human chromosome numbered 21

called also Down, Down's, trisomy 21