Alzheimer's disease

American  

[ahlts-hahy-merz, alts-, awlts-] / ˈɑlts haɪ mərz, ˈælts-, ˈɔlts- /

Or Alzheimer disease

noun

Pathology.

1. a common form of dementia, believed to be caused by changes in the brain, usually beginning in late middle age, characterized by memory lapses, confusion, emotional instability, and progressive loss of mental ability.

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Alzheimer's disease British  

/ ˈæltsˌhaɪməz /

noun

1. Often shortened to: Alzheimer's.  a disorder of the brain resulting in a progressive decline in intellectual and physical abilities and eventual dementia

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Alzheimer's disease Scientific  

/ äls′hī-mərz /

1. A progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, commonly affecting the elderly, and associated with the development of amyloid plaques in the cerebral cortex. It is characterized by confusion, disorientation, memory failure, speech disturbances, and eventual dementia. The cause is unknown. Alzheimer's disease is named for its identifier, German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915).

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Alzheimer's disease Cultural  

1. A disease in which mental capacity decreases because of the breakdown of brain cells.

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Discover More

Alzheimer's disease is a major cause of loss of intellectual function in middle-aged and elderly people.

Etymology

Origin of Alzheimer's disease

Named after Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915), German neurologist, who described it in 1907

Example Sentences

Richard Isaacson is a neurologist who works with patients who are trying to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026

Sound Wave has said it holds the basic patents in Japan and the U.S. for a method to treat early Alzheimer’s disease with low intensity pulsed ultrasound.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Japanese medical startup Sound Wave Innovation, which aims to cure Alzheimer’s disease with ultrasound therapy, has raised about $17 million from investors, including Singapore-based venture capital firm iGlobe Partners.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

In Alzheimer's disease, this system gradually breaks down, allowing harmful proteins to accumulate and damaging brain function over time.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2026

I can’t help letting my mind wander to the implications of Alzheimer’s disease for the theory of an immortal soul.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich