Alzheimer's disease

noun

Alz·​hei·​mer's disease ˈälts-ˌhī-mərz- How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio) ˈalts- How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio) ˈȯlts- How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio)
variants or less commonly Alzheimer disease
ˈälts-ˌhī-mər- How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio)
ˈalts-,
ˈȯlts-
or Alzheimer's
: a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia, that usually starts in late middle age or in old age, that results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood, and that is marked histologically by the degeneration of brain neurons especially in the cerebral cortex and by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques containing beta-amyloid
Behavioral problems, such as mood swings and agitation, may also be a part of the progression of Alzheimer's disease.Allan Perel
… the ability to differentiate normal aging-related memory changes from the impairments associated with dementia, including Alzheimer diseaseC. Munro Cullum
… researchers in California have created mice carrying the gene for beta-amyloid protein, the principal component of the plaques riddling the brains of people with Alzheimer's.Charlene Crabb

Note: Alzheimer's is often used before another noun.

Alzheimer's patients
abbreviation AD

Examples of Alzheimer's disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The officers were searching for a missing 95-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease when a family member asked them to check the home, CBS affiliate KPIX reported. Abigail Adams, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024 While getting Type 2 diabetes under control may already lower the risk for Alzheimer's disease, there may be additional dementia risk reduction for semaglutide, according to Rong Xu, lead researcher and professor of biomedical informatics at Case Western. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2024 In the 2004 film, Rowlands plays an older version of Rachel McAdams’ character, Allie, who is living with Alzheimer's disease. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024 Zoom out: The former president's father, Fred Trump, was diagnosed with dementia in 1991, at the age of 86, and was later found to have Alzheimer's disease. Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Alzheimer's disease 

Word History

Etymology

Alois Alzheimer †1915 German physician

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Alzheimer's disease was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near Alzheimer's disease

Cite this Entry

“Alzheimer's disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Alzheimer%27s%20disease. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Alzheimer's disease

noun
Alz·​hei·​mer's disease ˈälts-ˌhī-mərz How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio) ˈalts- How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio)
: a brain disease of later life that is characterized by changes in brain tissue with gradual loss of memory and mental abilities

called also Alzheimer's

Medical Definition

Alzheimer's disease

noun
Alz·​hei·​mer's disease ˈälts-ˌhī-mərz- How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio) ˈȯlts- How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio) ˈalts- How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio) ˈalz- How to pronounce Alzheimer's disease (audio)
variants also Alzheimer disease or Alzheimer's
: a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia, that usually starts in late middle age or in old age, that results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood, that leads in advanced cases to a profound decline in cognitive and physical functioning, and that is marked histologically by the degeneration of brain neurons especially in the cerebral cortex and by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques containing beta-amyloid
Behavioral problems, such as mood swings and agitation, may also be a part of the progression of Alzheimer's disease.Allan Perel, The Staten Island (New York) Advance
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, affecting more than 15 million individuals worldwide.Niklas Mattsson et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association
… researchers in California have created mice carrying the gene for beta-amyloid protein, the principal component of the plaques riddling the brains of people with Alzheimer's.Charlene Crabb, U.S. News & World Report
abbreviation AD

More from Merriam-Webster on Alzheimer's disease

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!