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.

---

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

---

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).

---

Alzheimer's disease Cultural  

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

---

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

"It was actually a really unexpected finding that suggests a totally new mechanism for Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis," said Huang.

From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026

The team says the findings could point to new ways to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease.

From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026

Ali praised Dosanjh's ability to bring warmth and restraint to emotionally complex scenes, particularly opposite Shah's character who struggles with Alzheimer's disease.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

The findings, published June 9 in Nature Metabolism, are based on a large analysis of patient health records combined with advanced imaging studies of human brain tissue and mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 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