attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

noun

variants or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
: attention deficit disorder
abbreviation ADHD

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Ritalin is the latest attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication in short supply—after a months-long Adderall shortage—leaving patients who rely on these drugs to manage daily symptoms without proper treatment. Conor Murray, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2023 For instance, a patient that fidgets, has poor concentration, becomes easily distracted and is unable to remain still may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Donna Sarkar, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2021 Parenting a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is demanding, and helping kids with ADHD understand themselves and their ADHD symptoms isn’t easy. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 13 Apr. 2021 Add one more to the list of environmental factors that could contribute to the rise in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): pesticides. Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 17 May 2010 This medication is actually a combination of two medications amphetamine and dextroamphetamine and typically used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2022 Sarfo dances and acts out short skits about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders and other mental health conditions. Hannah Norman, CNN, 19 Mar. 2022 Perhaps unsurprisingly, maladaptive daydreaming tends to occur alongside other disorders, the most common being attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Giulia Poerio, CNN, 9 Jan. 2023 By the age of 5, he was diagnosed with ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. CBS News, 5 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was in 1987

Dictionary Entries Near attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

attention deficit disorder

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

attention-getter

Cite this Entry

“Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attention%20deficit%20hyperactivity%20disorder. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Challenging Standardized Test Words

  • high school student holding a pencil leaning over a sat test
  • Despite the cacophony, the student tried to study.
Spell It

Hear a word and type it out. How many can you get right?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY