wheelchair

noun

wheel·​chair ˈ(h)wēl-ˌcher How to pronounce wheelchair (audio)
: a chair mounted on wheels especially for the use of disabled persons

Example Sentences

He was in a wheelchair for several months after the accident.
Recent Examples on the Web The marathon kicked off at Dodger Stadium at 6:30 a.m. with wheelchair participants, followed a short time later by elite runners and then the general public. Jeong Park, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2023 On a drafty February morning, two volunteers with Vostok SOS, one of the few aid groups able to evacuate people with disabilities, lifted her father into a wheelchair. Siobhán O'grady, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2023 Díaz was taken off the field in a wheelchair in Miami soon after pitching a perfect ninth inning to close out Puerto Rico’s 5-2 win over the Dominicans. Sun Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2023 His teammates lifted Diaz from the ground and placed him on a wheelchair to be taken from the field in pain. Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2023 Díaz was taken off the field in a wheelchair in Miami soon after pitching a perfect ninth inning to close out Puerto Rico’s 5-2 win over the Dominicans. San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Mar. 2023 In the fall of 1940, at age 51, Midgley contracted polio, and the dashing, charismatic inventor soon found himself in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. Steven Johnson, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2023 What’s immediately apparent is how spacious the rear compartment feels; the requirement to accommodate a passenger in a wheelchair results in more headroom than any SUV. Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2023 He was ultimately helped to the dugout, then put in a wheelchair and taken into the clubhouse area. Jon Couture, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Mar. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wheelchair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wheelchair was circa 1700

Dictionary Entries Near wheelchair

Cite this Entry

“Wheelchair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheelchair. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

wheelchair

noun
wheel·​chair -ˌche(ə)r How to pronounce wheelchair (audio)
-ˌcha(ə)r
: a chair with wheels used especially by sick, injured, or disabled people to get about

Medical Definition

wheelchair

noun
: a chair mounted on wheels especially for the use of disabled individuals

More from Merriam-Webster on wheelchair

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2

  • a pencil broken in half on top of a test answer sheet
  • The business’s new computer system proved not to be a panacea.
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY