para·sym·pa·thet·ic
ˌper-ə-ˌsim-pə-ˈthe-tik 
ˌpa-rə-
: of, relating to, being, or acting on the parasympathetic nervous system
1
: a parasympathetic nerve
Examples of parasympathetic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2026
Heart rate dropped, systolic blood pressure fell and heart rate variability rose, which are direct, measurable signs of a parasympathetic shift.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026
Erica Lamberg, Fox News, 8 Dec. 2024
Parasympathetic has two other states though- the rest and digest and according to the Polyvagal Theory, the ventral vagal branch of the parasympathetic which is social engagement.
—Womensmedia, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2021
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Adjective
Those shifts are direct markers of parasympathetic activation, meaning the body measurably moved out of a stress state during the exercise.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 May 2026
Heart rate dropped, systolic blood pressure fell and heart rate variability rose, which are direct, measurable signs of a parasympathetic shift.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026
Noun
There are two parts of the nervous system — the sympathetic and the parasympathetic, said Beth Oller, M.D., a family physician with Rooks County Health Center in Stockton, Kansas.
—Erica Lamberg, Fox News, 8 Dec. 2024
Parasympathetic has two other states though- the rest and digest and according to the Polyvagal Theory, the ventral vagal branch of the parasympathetic which is social engagement.
—Womensmedia, Forbes, 15 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for parasympathetic
Cite this Entry
“Parasympathetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parasympathetic. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
parasympathetic
1 of 2 adjective
para·sym·pa·thet·ic
ˌpar-ə-ˌsim-pə-ˈthet-ik
: of, relating to, being, or acting on the parasympathetic nervous system
parasympathetic fibers of the vascular wall
parasympathetic drugs
parasympathetic
2 of 2 noun1
: a parasympathetic nerve
this sacral group of parasympathetics supplies fibers to the external genitalia—A. C. Guyton
A. C. GuytonLove words? Need even more definitions?
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