dilated
adjective
di·lat·ed
ˈdī-ˌlā-təd 
dī-ˈlā-
1
: marked by expansion or widening : subject to dilation
Some insist that the need to learn is likely to be at the core of our dilated childhood.—
Natalie Angier
Natalie Angier
specifically
: expanded, enlarged, or widened normally or abnormally in all dimensions
dilated pupils
a dilated artery/cervix
Abdominal roentgenograms taken when the patient was upright showed a massively dilated stomach. —Yogesh K. Gupta
Yogesh K. Gupta 2
: expanded laterally
especially
: being flat and widened
dilated leaves
The flower corolla consists of only the upper dilated petal called the standard, or banner. —Sylvan T. Runkel and Dean M. Roose
Sylvan T. Runkel and Dean M. Roose 3
: caused by dilatation (see dilatation sense 1a)
dilated cardiomyopathy
Examples of dilated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The recipient, a 49-year-old woman with dilated cardiomyopathy, recovered smoothly and showed remarkably low cardiac enzyme levels, which is a key indicator of heart muscle health.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
As for the patient, the 49-year-old woman with dilated cardiomyopathy was discharged from hospital not long after her surgery last August and is doing well.
—New Atlas, 17 Apr. 2025
These signs include avoiding each other or keeping their distance, swiping, biting, dilated pupils, flattened ears, hissing, litter box guarding, urinating outside of the litter box, territorial aggression, and toy hoarding.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
The disease can be diagnosed by examining the patterns of certain structures in the eye, either by looking through a magnifying device that shines a light into the baby’s dilated eye, or by studying images taken by a wide-angle ophthalmic camera.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 Apr. 2018
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Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
As for the patient, the 49-year-old woman with dilated cardiomyopathy was discharged from hospital not long after her surgery last August and is doing well.
—New Atlas, 17 Apr. 2025
These signs include avoiding each other or keeping their distance, swiping, biting, dilated pupils, flattened ears, hissing, litter box guarding, urinating outside of the litter box, territorial aggression, and toy hoarding.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
The disease can be diagnosed by examining the patterns of certain structures in the eye, either by looking through a magnifying device that shines a light into the baby’s dilated eye, or by studying images taken by a wide-angle ophthalmic camera.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 Apr. 2018
See All Example Sentences for dilated
Cite this Entry
“Dilated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dilated. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
dilated
adjective
di·lat·ed
dī-ˈlā-təd
ˈdī-ˌ
1
: expanded, enlarged, or widened normally or abnormally in all dimensions
dilated pupils
a dilated artery/cervix
2
: caused by dilation
dilated cardiomyopathy
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