attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

noun

variants or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

: attention deficit disorder

—abbreviation ADHD

Examples of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both basic and life-saving drugs are in short supply, from oxytocin and chemotherapy medications to prescriptions for to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024

Using acetaminophen, which comes in brand names like Tylenol, during pregnancy has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). —Sarah Scott, Parents, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

noun

variants or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

: attention deficit disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the most common pediatric psychiatric condition, estimated to affect 2 percent to 9 percent of American children, mostly boys.

—Susan Gilbert, The New York Times

… the drug that has come to symbolize our particular predicaments is Ritalin, the widely prescribed treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or attention-deficit disorder, as it is more popularly known.

—Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker

Discoveries in neuroscience are reinforcing a growing consensus that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as it is officially known, is not just a set of behavior problems but a biologically based disorder of brain function.

—Harvard Mental Health Letter

—abbreviation ADHD