ataxia
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ataxia
First recorded in 1605–15; from New Latin, from Greek: “indiscipline,” from a- a- 6 + táx(is) -taxis + -ia -ia
Explanation
Ataxia is a medical condition that causes people's muscles to move involuntarily. Having trouble balancing can sometimes be a sign of ataxia. If you suffer from ataxia, your muscles have stopped working together normally — you're not able to coordinate your movements the way you want to. Ataxia is a disorder of the nervous system that can be caused by many different conditions, including vitamin deficiency and inherited illnesses. In medical Latin, ataxia is "confusion or disorder," from the Greek taxis, "arrangement or order."
Vocabulary lists containing ataxia
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These advantages could make it easier to develop a widely accessible treatment if future clinical trials confirm that sulforaphane is effective against Friedreich ataxia.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
The Food and Drug Administration agrees to review a New Drug Application for Vyglxia, Biohaven’s experimental spinocerebellar ataxia treatment.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Frustrated with himself, and with Krantz, McCarthy scribbled on a draft page, “mild horror, creeping bibliophobia, locomotor ataxia, / general lassitude and despondency.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
New research from a Virginia Tech neuroscientist at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is raising questions about a long-standing approach to studying chronic neurological conditions such as dystonia, ataxia, and tremor.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 1, 2026
Dec. 13th, two very offensive liquid stools; ataxia greater; skin yellow and countenance dull and listless.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
