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

See Examples For:

Alzheimer's disease

The findings come as women are more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Obesity also is a risk factor that increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, according to the National Institutes of Health.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are becoming more common as populations grow older.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026

Future work will investigate whether APOE2-mimetic compounds or targeted DNA repair treatments can provide similar protection in people with APOE4, the group with the highest genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 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