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

Thyroid disease Diabetes Rosacea (a chronic inflammatory skin disease) Parkinson's disease (a progressive neurological disorder) COVID-19 Prior eye surgery Post COVID Eye Inflammation Your COVID-19 illness may be over, but its effect on your eyes may linger. —Maxine Lipner, Verywell Health, 11 Sep. 2024

Carpenter's grandson, James Gates, tells PEOPLE that the film landed in his possession when his mother handed down family mementos sometime after his grandfather's death from Parkinson's disease. —Liz McNeil, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2024

The finding could hold promise as a new way to fight Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and overall cognitive decline. —Michael Franco, New Atlas, 15 Aug. 2024

Ryan Reynolds unfortunately understands Parkinson's disease more than most. —David Oliver, USA TODAY, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

James Parkinson †1824 English physician

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

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