encephalopathy
noun
en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy
in-ˌse-fə-ˈlä-pə-thē 
plural encephalopathies
: a disease of the brain
especially
: one involving alterations of brain structure
Examples of encephalopathy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kalani has hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a form of brain injury that affects muscle tone and mobility.
—
Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
Doctors at Mass General Hospital were able to diagnose her with acute necrotizing encephalopathy, a rare illness linked to the flu that causes the brain to swell and for the body to kill brain cells.
—Logan Hall, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Gentry said kids with severe forms of autism were paid for encephalopathy until the government revised the definition in the mid-1990s.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
More than 1 in 5 experience pneumonia, 1 in 50 experience convulsions and 1 in 150 experience encephalopathy, a group of brain diseases, the CDC reports.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encephalopathy
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Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
Doctors at Mass General Hospital were able to diagnose her with acute necrotizing encephalopathy, a rare illness linked to the flu that causes the brain to swell and for the body to kill brain cells.
—Logan Hall, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
Gentry said kids with severe forms of autism were paid for encephalopathy until the government revised the definition in the mid-1990s.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
More than 1 in 5 experience pneumonia, 1 in 50 experience convulsions and 1 in 150 experience encephalopathy, a group of brain diseases, the CDC reports.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encephalopathy
Cite this Entry
“Encephalopathy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encephalopathy. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
encephalopathy
noun
en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy
in-ˌsef-ə-ˈläp-ə-thē
plural encephalopathies
: a disease of the brain
especially
: one involving alterations of brain structure
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