progeria

noun

pro·​ge·​ria prō-ˈjir-ē-ə How to pronounce progeria (audio)
: a rare genetic disorder of childhood marked by slowed physical growth and characteristic signs (such as baldness, wrinkled skin, and atherosclerosis) of rapid aging with death usually occurring around puberty

Examples of progeria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lifespan extension by dietary intervention in a mouse model of Cockayne Syndrome uncouples early postnatal development from segmental progeria. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Oct. 2025 Each tells the story of teenager, Kimberly Levaco, and her struggles with progeria, a genetic condition that causes a person to age faster than usual. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025 Teenagers with progeria age ultrafast. —Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025 By the time children with progeria enter their teen-age years, their bodies have effectively aged eight or nine decades. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for progeria

Word History

Etymology

Greek progḗrōs "prematurely old" (from pro- pro- entry 1 + -gērōs, adjective derivative from the stem of gḗras "old age") + -ia entry 1 — more at geriatric entry 2

Note: The term progeria was introduced by the British surgeon Hastings Gilford (1861-1941) in "Progeria: a form of senilism," The Practioner, vol. 73 (August, 1904), pp. 188-217. According to the author, "it was this peculiar mixture of relative bigness and littleness, youth and old age, which suggested the word micromegaly, at first used as a provisional name for the disease. But it is obvious that the most conspicuous feature is that of premature senile decay, and the name progeria, for which I am indebted to Mr. James Rhoades [1841-1923, Anglo-Irish poet and schoolmaster] and Professor Arthur Sidgwick [1840-1920, Oxford classicist], is not only a far better word, but it is a true description of the distinguishing features of the two cases" (p. 210).

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of progeria was in 1904

Rhymes for progeria

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Browse Nearby Words

progeny-test
progeria
progestational
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Cite this Entry

“Progeria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/progeria. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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Medical Definition

progeria

noun
pro·​ge·​ria prō-ˈjir-ē-ə How to pronounce progeria (audio)
: a rare genetic disorder of childhood marked by slowed physical growth and characteristic signs (as baldness, wrinkled skin, and atherosclerosis) of rapid aging with death usually occurring during puberty

More from Merriam-Webster on progeria

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about progeria

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