amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

noun

amyo·​tro·​phic lateral sclerosis ˌā-ˌmī-ə-ˈtrō-fik-  -ˈträ- 

: a rare progressive degenerative fatal disease affecting the motor neurons, usually beginning in middle age, and characterized especially by increasing and spreading muscular weakness and atrophy

—abbreviation ALS

called also Lou Gehrig's disease

Examples of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Neuralink has claimed to have achieved a new milestone in brain-computer interface technology, with an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient successfully controlling a robotic arm using only his thoughts. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025

EpiSwitch technology has already been used in detecting markers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and rheumatoid arthritis, and a blood test for prostate cancer – EpiSwitch PSE – is already in use, with 94% accuracy. —New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2025

Dane revealed he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in April. —Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025

Eric Dane opened up about his absence from the 2025 Emmy Awards, sharing that he had been hospitalized due to a bad fall amid his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis. —Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

a- entry 2 + my- + -trophic

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

• acanthosis
• acidosis
• alkalosis
• amaurosis
• ankylosis
• asbestosis
• brucellosis
• cyanosis
• dermatosis
• diagnosis
• ecchymosis
• exostosis

Medical Definition

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

noun

: a rare fatal progressive degenerative disease that affects pyramidal motor neurons, usually begins in middle age, and is characterized especially by increasing and spreading muscular weakness

—abbreviation ALS

called also Lou Gehrig's disease