Asperger's syndrome

British  

/ ˈæspɜːɡəz /

noun

1. a form of autism in which the person affected has limited but obsessive interests, and has difficulty relating to other people

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Asperger's syndrome Scientific  

/ ăs′pər-gərz /

1. A developmental disorder characterized by impairment in social interactions and repetitive behavior patterns. It is named after its identifier, Austrian psychiatrist Hans Asperger (1906–1980).

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Etymology

Origin of Asperger's syndrome

C20: after Hans Asperger (20th century), Austrian physician who first described it

Example Sentences

By 1994, the DSM-4 expanded the definition to more social and behavioral traits including repetitive behaviors or intense interests and created categories including Asperger’s syndrome, for milder cases.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025

The eightfold increase in new diagnoses that Ginny Russell found included Asperger's syndrome, which was seen as a particular type of autism.

From BBC • May 2, 2025

NBC News reports that Lawler’s attorneys pleaded for his life on the grounds that he “was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder that most closely resembles Asperger’s syndrome, which impaired his social interactions and judgment.”

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2025

One of Woodward’s previous lawyers said his client has Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder that generally causes difficulty with social interactions, and struggled with his own sexuality.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2024

This book was inspired by the events at Virginia Tech as well as my own need to try to explain what it’s like for a child to have Asperger’s syndrome.

From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine