neurodegenerative disease
noun
variants
or neurodegenerative disorder
plural neurodegenerative diseases or neurodegenerative disorders
: a chronic progressive disease (such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) that is characterized especially by the gradual deterioration or impaired function of neurons of the nervous system and especially the brain and that usually manifests later in life
Neurodegenerative diseases remain among the most complex and least understood conditions in modern medicine, with few effective treatments available for patients and families facing diagnoses …—Columbian-Progress (Mississippi)
… there is a link between repeated head impacts and long-term brain health consequences, like developing into neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.—Lindsay Starling, quoted in The Observer (London)
Huntington's is a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder that gradually deteriorates a person's physical and mental abilities, often leading to death within 10 to 30 years of onset.—Katherine Gaither
Cite this Entry
“Neurodegenerative disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurodegenerative%20disease. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.
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