autism

American  

[aw-tiz-uhm] / ˈɔ tɪz əm /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. a developmental disability of highly variable presentation, commonly characterized by social and communication differences, repetitive behaviors, intense specialized interests, and differences in sensory processing; autism spectrum disorder.

2. Sometimes classic autism (no longer in clinical use) a developmental disability that commonly manifests in early childhood, characterized by repetitive or restricted behaviors, differences in understanding social interactions, and delayed development of linguistic and cognitive abilities: formerly contrasted with Asperger syndrome.

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autism British  

/ ˈɔːtɪzəm /

noun

1. psychiatry a developmental disorder whose symptoms include difficulty in responding conventionally to people and actions and limited use of communication

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Usage

Rather than talking about an autistic or autistics , it is better to use phrases such as a person with autism and people with autism

Other Word Forms

• autist noun
• autistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of autism

First recorded in 1910–15, for an earlier sense; coined in 1944 by Austrian-American psychiatrist Leo Kanner (1894–1981), for the current sense (in the phrase infantile autism ); from German Autismus (in the earlier sense), from New Latin; aut- + -ism

Example Sentences

The company cared for 84 children with autism in 2023, the latest year of Medicaid data available to the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

In 2024, Indiana set a flat rate of $68 an hour for routine autism therapy services rendered by the lower wage workers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Sweet adds: "At Field Lane I have met the most amazing children who are developing empathy, understanding and acceptance - they are learning about autism and physical disability."

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Islas, who said he has been diagnosed with autism, maintained he wasn’t doing anything combative that night.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

In other words, on the most basic neurological level, for someone with autism, a face is just another object.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell