hemiplegia
noun
hemi·ple·gia
ˌhe-mi-ˈplē-j(ē-)ə 
: total or partial paralysis of one side of the body that results from disease of or injury to the motor centers of the brain
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Hemi-, unlike semi, almost always appears in scientific or technical words, including medical terms such as this one. A hemiplegic, like a paraplegic (who has lost the use of both legs), has usually suffered brain damage, often from a wound or blood clot. Other conditions that affect one side of the body are hemihypertrophy (excessive growth on one side), hemiatrophy (wasting on one side), and hemiparesis (weakness or partial paralysis).
Examples of hemiplegia in a Sentence
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About a third experience some form of aura beforehand, often accompanied by debilitating symptoms from vomiting to vertigo, or, in worse cases, temporary blindness or hemiplegia, a paralysis down one side of the body.
—
Matthew Ponsford, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
Related article Gaza’s chessboard of suffering: Tens of thousands on the move again as IDF issues new evacuation orders
Julia suffers from a rare neurological disorder called alternating hemiplegia of childhood, or AHC.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 10 July 2024
It’s designed to identify what doctors call hemiplegia — weakness or paralysis on only one side of the body, a classic sign of stroke.
—Eva Holland, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023
Spastic hemiplegia generally affects a hand, arm, or leg on only one side of the body.
—Lauren Sieben, SELF, 22 Mar. 2022
His conditions — alternating hemiplegia of childhood and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome — involve paralysis and severe epilepsy.
—Molly Duerig, azcentral, 14 Sep. 2019
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Matthew Ponsford, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
Related article Gaza’s chessboard of suffering: Tens of thousands on the move again as IDF issues new evacuation orders
Julia suffers from a rare neurological disorder called alternating hemiplegia of childhood, or AHC.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 10 July 2024
It’s designed to identify what doctors call hemiplegia — weakness or paralysis on only one side of the body, a classic sign of stroke.
—Eva Holland, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023
Spastic hemiplegia generally affects a hand, arm, or leg on only one side of the body.
—Lauren Sieben, SELF, 22 Mar. 2022
His conditions — alternating hemiplegia of childhood and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome — involve paralysis and severe epilepsy.
—Molly Duerig, azcentral, 14 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Hemiplegia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hemiplegia. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hemiplegia
noun
hemi·ple·gia
ˌhem-i-ˈplē-j(ē-)ə
: total or partial paralysis of one side of the body that results from disease of or injury to the motor centers of the brain
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