neurodegenerative

adjective

neu·​ro·​de·​gen·​er·​a·​tive ˌnu̇r-ō-di-ˈje-nə-rə-tiv 

-ˈjen-rə-;

-ˈje-nə-ˌrā-;

-dē-,

ˌnyu̇r-

: relating to or marked by degeneration of nervous tissue

Examples of neurodegenerative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The overwhelming majority are for people with terminal illnesses, mostly cancer, with a smaller number for people who have other nonterminal conditions that cause acute suffering — such as neurodegenerative disease or intractable depression. —Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025

On May 5, the third and final installment of the informative Matter of Mind series, which examines neurodegenerative diseases, spotlights Alzheimer’s in Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2025

Bryce Vissel, a neuroscientist from the University of New South Wales, has a particular research focus on neurodegenerative disease. —New Atlas, 11 Feb. 2025

Certain biomarkers associated with neurodegenerative disease appear to rise significantly after a long trip. —Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neurodegenerative

• degenerative
• regenerative
• generative

Medical Definition

neurodegenerative

adjective

neu·​ro·​de·​gen·​er·​a·​tive -di-ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt-iv, -di-ˈjen-(ə-)rət- 

: relating to or characterized by degeneration of nervous tissue

neurodegeneration

-di-ˌjen-ə-ˈrā-shən, -ˌdē- 

noun