alopecia

American  

[al-uh-pee-shee-uh, -see-uh] / ˌæl əˈpi ʃi ə, -si ə /

noun

Pathology.

1. loss of hair; baldness.

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alopecia British  

/ ˌæləˈpiːʃɪə /

noun

1. loss of hair, esp on the head; baldness

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alopecia Scientific  

/ ăl′ə-pē′shə /

1. Loss of hair; baldness.

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Other Word Forms

• alopecic adjective

Etymology

Origin of alopecia

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek alōpekía “mange in foxes,” equivalent to alōpek- (stem of alṓpēx ) “fox” + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

It’s unclear whether an increasing number of people are experiencing hair loss, although some researchers say lifestyle and dietary habits can bring on early onset androgenetic alopecia.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

The winner of this year's Great British Bake Off has said living with alopecia has "changed her perception of beauty".

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025

In tests using a mouse model of alopecia, a dissolvable patch containing both stevioside and minoxidil successfully stimulated hair follicles to re-enter the growth phase, which resulted in the development of new hair.

From Science Daily • Oct. 10, 2025

Pinkett Smith has been public about her alopecia since 2018, when she first mentioned the diagnosis during her family’s series, “Red Table Talk.”

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2022

In those cases in which there is a positive cause, as, for instance, in symptomatic alopecia, the prognosis is, as a rule, favorable, especially if no family predisposition exists.

From Essentials of Diseases of the Skin Including the Syphilodermata Arranged in the Form of Questions and Answers Prepared Especially for Students of Medicine by Stelwagon, Henry Weightman