apraxia

American  

[uh-prak-see-uh, ey-prak-] / əˈpræk si ə, eɪˈpræk- /

noun

Pathology.

1. a disorder of the nervous system, characterized by an inability to perform purposeful movements, but not accompanied by a loss of sensory function or paralysis.

---

apraxia British  

/ əˈpræksɪə /

noun

1. a disorder of the central nervous system caused by brain damage and characterized by impaired ability to carry out purposeful muscular movements

---

Other Word Forms

• apractic
  adjective
• apraxic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of apraxia

From New Latin, dating back to 1885–90; see origin at a- ⁶, praxis, -ia

Example Sentences

Former Swindon Town and Brentford footballer Chris Kamara, who recently spoke out about his difficulties with the speech disorder apraxia, has been made an MBE for services to football, anti-racism and charity.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2022

They aim to offer new treatments in some of medicine’s most difficult maladies, such as paralysis, speech apraxia, and even depression.

From Slate • Nov. 23, 2021

As a little girl growing up in Venice, California, Rousey dealt with apraxia, a motor-speech disorder.

From The Guardian • Aug. 18, 2018

Meredith Bazaar of Ringwood, N.J., a speech and language pathologist, uses hippotherapy to treat clients, including those with apraxia, a brain disorder that makes it difficult to articulate or speak words.

From New York Times • Jul. 5, 2016

It bears the same relation to true paralysis of the speech organs that hand apraxia bears to paralysis of the hand.

From Psychology A Study Of Mental Life by Woodworth, Robert S.