neutropenia

noun

neu·​tro·​pe·​nia ˌn(y)ü-trə-ˈpē-nē-ə 

: leukopenia in which the decrease in white blood cells is chiefly in neutrophils

neutropenic

ˌn(y)ü-trə-ˈpē-nik 

adjective

Examples of neutropenia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is especially true when dealing with children, in whom neutropenia tends to be more common than in adults. — Nitin Gogtay, STAT, 4 Sep. 2026

One recent study of 974 adults with schizophrenia found no cases of severe neutropenia among clozapine users. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Mar. 2025

Clozapine is also associated with a rare side effect called neutropenia, a drop in white blood cell counts that, in its most severe form, can be life-threatening. — Ellen Barry, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025

The 11-year-old has a rare blood disease called chronic cyclic neutropenia, which causes her white cell count to drop dramatically low every three months. — Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, 25 Apr. 2020

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from neutro- (from International Scientific Vocabulary neutrophil) + -penia

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neutropenia

• asthenia
• eugenia
• lacinia
• puccinia
• robinia
• vaccinia
• yersinia
• iphigenia
• leukopenia
• myasthenia
• neurasthenia
• schizophrenia

Medical Definition

neutropenia

noun

neu·​tro·​pe·​nia ˌn(y)ü-trə-ˈpē-nē-ə 

: leukopenia in which the decrease in white blood cells is chiefly in neutrophils

neutropenic

-ˈpē-nik 

adjective