cerebral palsy

noun

: a disability resulting from damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth and outwardly manifested by muscular incoordination and speech disturbances

cerebral-palsied

sə-ˈrē-brəl-ˈpȯl-zēd 

ˈser-ə-, 

ˈse-rə-

adjective

Examples of cerebral palsy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After Greg Green's baby girl was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the family found social support at school and among disability-rights advocates. —Kat McGowan, NPR, 31 Dec. 2025

In a world-first for national-level sports, Han Binbin, a player with cerebral palsy, competed in a Chinese chess tournament using a non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) device. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025

Exploring this pervasive attitude towards disability, Davenport takes as his launching point the case of Elizabeth Bouvia, a young woman with cerebral palsy and degenerative arthritis who entered a California hospital essentially asking the facility to assist in her death. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025

The Arc of San Diego serves over 2,000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome, annually. —News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cerebral palsy

noun

: a disease resulting from damage to the brain usually before or during birth and resulting in imperfect control of muscles, paralysis, and speech disturbances

Medical Definition

cerebral palsy

noun

: a disability resulting from damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth and outwardly manifested by muscular incoordination and speech disturbances see ataxic cerebral palsy, athetoid cerebral palsy, spastic cerebral palsy

cerebral palsied adjective