scle·rot·ic
sklə-ˈrä-tik 
1
a
medical
: of, relating to, or affected with sclerosis (see sclerosis sense 1)
sclerotic arteries
sclerotic bone lesions
b
: grown rigid or unresponsive especially with age : unable or reluctant to adapt or compromise
a sclerotic system/bureaucracy
the country's sclerotic economy
The upheaval in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and elsewhere is driven by popular revulsion with sclerotic, corrupt leadership.—
Rachel Bronson
Rachel Bronson2
anatomy
: being or relating to the sclera
the sclerotic coat of the eye
Examples of sclerotic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebNicolas Niarchos, The New York Review of Books, 16 Nov. 2023
Saudi official statements and media conspicuously avoided any mention of Hamas, instead focusing on shoring up the rival, sclerotic Palestinian Authority, as well as diplomatic efforts by the Saudi foreign minister and allies in Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf.
—Bymohamed El Aassar, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2023
The Palestinian leadership is aging, unpopular, and sclerotic.
—Ghaith Al-Omari, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2023
The Pentagon, for its part, must fix its sclerotic, parochial, and bureaucratic acquisition processes, which are especially anachronistic in an era when agility, flexibility, and speed matter more than ever.
—Robert M. Gates, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2023
The Justice Department portrays Google as a sclerotic company whose dominance has reduced its incentives to provide good service while disadvantaging newer, more innovative options.
—Adi Robertson, The Verge, 12 Sep. 2023
Shinobu Ohno, who was a member of the 2011 championship team, told the French news agency that Japan’s national team had become sclerotic, unable to adapt to teams that were physically stronger and more tactically adept.
—Jeré Longman, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023
At his start, some of his biotech colleagues praised him as a visionary, an outsider shaking up an industry that had grown sclerotic at its highest ranks.
—Damian Garde, STAT, 24 Aug. 2023
His supporters see him as a powerful rebuke to years of sclerotic, hapless governance.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2023
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Adjective
Since the fall of Mobutu in 1997, Congo has been racked by conflict, and its sclerotic centralized government has failed to diversify the economy to insulate it from price fluctuations.
—Nicolas Niarchos, The New York Review of Books, 16 Nov. 2023
Saudi official statements and media conspicuously avoided any mention of Hamas, instead focusing on shoring up the rival, sclerotic Palestinian Authority, as well as diplomatic efforts by the Saudi foreign minister and allies in Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf.
—Bymohamed El Aassar, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2023
The Palestinian leadership is aging, unpopular, and sclerotic.
—Ghaith Al-Omari, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2023
The Pentagon, for its part, must fix its sclerotic, parochial, and bureaucratic acquisition processes, which are especially anachronistic in an era when agility, flexibility, and speed matter more than ever.
—Robert M. Gates, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2023
The Justice Department portrays Google as a sclerotic company whose dominance has reduced its incentives to provide good service while disadvantaging newer, more innovative options.
—Adi Robertson, The Verge, 12 Sep. 2023
Shinobu Ohno, who was a member of the 2011 championship team, told the French news agency that Japan’s national team had become sclerotic, unable to adapt to teams that were physically stronger and more tactically adept.
—Jeré Longman, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023
At his start, some of his biotech colleagues praised him as a visionary, an outsider shaking up an industry that had grown sclerotic at its highest ranks.
—Damian Garde, STAT, 24 Aug. 2023
His supporters see him as a powerful rebuke to years of sclerotic, hapless governance.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sclerotic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Phrases Containing sclerotic
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Cite this Entry
“Sclerotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sclerotic. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
sclerotic
1 of 2 adjective
scle·rot·ic
sklə-ˈrät-ik
1
: being or relating to the sclera
2
: of, relating to, or affected with sclerosis
sclerotic
2 of 2 noun
: sclera
Medical Definition
sclerotic
1 of 2 adjective
scle·rot·ic
sklə-ˈrät-ik
sclerotic
2 of 2 noun
: sclera
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