dysplasia

noun

dys·​pla·​sia dis-ˈplā-zh(ē-)ə 

: abnormal growth or development (as of organs or cells)

broadly : abnormal anatomical structure due to such growth

dysplastic

dis-ˈpla-stik 

adjective

Examples of dysplasia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Senior pups, large breeds and dogs with hip dysplasia or arthritis can benefit from structured foam that doesn’t collapse. — Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026

Patients with the condition undergo endoscopies to look for dysplasia, which can be low-grade or high-grade. — Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025

The lawsuit adds that the baby the woman carried was born with a rare skeletal disorder called thanatophoric dysplasia that is known to be fatal after birth. — Elizabeth Chuck, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026

The Duffers even wrote Matarazzo’s cleidocranial dysplasia into his character. — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from German Dysplasie, from dys- dys- + -plasie -plasia

First Known Use

circa 1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dysplasia

• aphasia
• aplasia
• fantasia
• achalasia
• euthanasia
• hyperplasia
• hypoplasia
• metaplasia
• neoplasia
• telangiectasia

Medical Definition

dysplasia

noun

dys·​pla·​sia dis-ˈplā-zh(ē-)ə 

1

: variation in somatotype (as in degree of ectomorphy, endomorphy, or mesomorphy) from one part of a human body to another

2

: abnormal growth or development (as of organs or cells)

broadly : abnormal anatomic structure due to such growth

dysplastic

-ˈplas-tik 

adjective