Parkinson's disease

noun

Par·​kin·​son's disease ˈpär-kən-sənz- 

variants or less commonly Parkinson disease or Parkinson's or Parkinson's syndrome

: a chronic progressive neurological disease chiefly of later life that is linked to decreased dopamine production in the substantia nigra and is marked especially by tremor of resting muscles, rigidity, slowness of movement, impaired balance, and a shuffling gait

called also paralysis agitans

Examples of Parkinson's disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Per the Chicago Sun-Times, Butler died on Thursday, Feb. 20 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a family friend told the publication. —Victoria Edel, People.com, 21 Feb. 2025

Nicholas Mangione's wife, Mary, died of Parkinson's disease complications at the age of 92 in March 2023, according to an obituary in The Baltimore Sun. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025

Marshall Rose, Candice Bergen's husband of more than 20 years, has died after a battle with Parkinson's disease. —Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025

Medical history: Certain health conditions, including Parkinson's disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acne, obesity, stroke, or traumatic brain injury (TBI), can trigger excess oil production and lead to wet dandruff. —Lindsay Curtis, Health, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

James Parkinson †1824 English physician

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Parkinson's disease

• ferromanganese
• mephistopheles
• ostracods
• abcs
• absentees
• addressees
• adoptees
• allottees
• amputees
• antifreeze
• appellees
• appointees

Kids Definition

Parkinson's disease

noun

Par·​kin·​son's disease ˈpär-kən-sənz- 

: a disease chiefly of later life that tends to get steadily worse and is marked especially by stiff and trembling muscles, slowness of movement, and a shuffling way of walking

Medical Definition

Parkinson's disease

noun

Par·​kin·​son's disease ˈpär-kən-sənz- 

variants also Parkinson disease

-sən-

or Parkinson's

: a chronic progressive neurological disease chiefly of later life that is linked to decreased dopamine production in the substantia nigra, is of unknown cause, and is marked especially by tremor of resting muscles, rigidity, slowness of movement, impaired balance, and a shuffling gait

called also paralysis agitans, parkinsonian syndrome, parkinsonism, Parkinson's syndrome