autistic

adjective au·tis·tic \ ȯ-ˈti-stik \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Definition of autistic

: of, relating to, or marked by autism or autism spectrum disorder

autistic behavior

autistic children

—

autistically

play \ȯ-ˈti-sti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Recent Examples of autistic from the Web

Related stories from Fort Worth Star Telegram Graham police used stun gun on autistic teen.

— nichole manna, star-telegram, "Graham police release video of officers using stun gun on teen with autism," 12 July 2018
That’s much less than the 96 percent of their non-autistic peers who received the vaccines.

— josh magness, miamiherald, "Parents of an autistic child are less likely to vaccinate any of their kids, study finds | Miami Herald," 27 Mar. 2018
There are also anecdotes from his life, including a harrowing one about the shooting of one of his sons, and an uplifting one about performing for autistic children in Japan.

— milford graves, New York Times, "Review: ‘Milford Graves Full Mantis’ Delivers a Lot of Heart," 12 July 2018
People from the district and surrounding areas wanting to set up schools for autistic children frequently visit the school to learn about its methods.

— eam asaduzzaman and shababa iqbal, The Christian Science Monitor, "School in Bangladesh builds confidence for autistic students – and their parents," 10 July 2018
The study found that children with both autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had a much higher risk for anxiety than autistic children without ADHD.

— andrea k. mcdaniels, baltimoresun.com, "Father/daughter research team studying autism at Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute," 14 June 2018
The book’s title is a reference to the narrator’s autistic older brother, a man rendered remote and inaccessible by his disability.

— sam sacks, WSJ, "Fiction Chronicles: The Intoxicating Attraction of the Abyss," 8 June 2018
The grandmother of Kentae Williams, an autistic 10-year-old allegedly drowned by his adoptive dad, is suing the Division of Family Children Services for not properly handling previous claims of abuse.

— joshua sharpe, ajc, "DFCS sued over homicide drowning of autistic boy, 10, in DeKalb," 30 June 2018
Kids with autistic conditions sometimes work with robots to help them better distinguish emotions.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Robotic AI Helping Autistic Kids Read Emotions," 29 June 2018

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

First Known Use of autistic

1942

in the meaning defined above

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autistic

noun

Definition of autistic

: an individual affected with autism or autism spectrum disorder

Recent Examples of autistic from the Web

Thirty years later, the belief persists that autistics can reliably count a pile of toothpicks at a glance.

— donna levin, Smithsonian, "Why Your Next Favorite Fictional Protagonist Might Be on the Autism Spectrum," 24 May 2017
Thirty years later, the belief persists that autistics can reliably count a pile of toothpicks at a glance.

— donna levin, Smithsonian, "Why Your Next Favorite Fictional Protagonist Might Be on the Autism Spectrum," 24 May 2017

First Known Use of autistic

1965

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

autistic

adjective au·tis·tic \ ȯ-ˈtis-tik \

medical Definition of autistic

: of, relating to, or marked by autism or autism spectrum disorder

autistic behavior

autistic children

autistic

noun

medical Definition of autistic

: an individual affected with autism or autism spectrum disorder

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Spanish Central: Translation of autistic Nglish: Translation of autistic for Spanish speakers

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autistically

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