cerebral palsy

American  

noun

Pathology.

cerebral palsies plural

1. a form of paralysis believed to be caused by a prenatal brain defect or by brain injury during birth, most marked in certain motor areas and characterized by difficulty in control of the voluntary muscles.

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cerebral palsy British  

noun

1. a nonprogressive impairment of muscular function and weakness of the limbs, caused by lack of oxygen to the brain immediately after birth, brain injury during birth, or viral infection

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cerebral palsy Scientific  

1. A motor disorder often caused by brain injury occurring at or before birth, characterized by muscular impairment and symptoms such as poor coordination, spasm, abnormal stiffness, speech difficulties, and sometimes paralysis. Some children with cerebral palsy have accompanying neurologic conditions such as epilepsy, learning disorders, and mental retardation.

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cerebral palsy Cultural  

1. A disorder marked by lack of muscle coordination and sometimes accompanied by speech defects. It is caused by brain damage present at birth or experienced during birth or infancy.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cerebral palsied
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cerebral palsies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cerebral palsy

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cerebral palsy

He said his son has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder, and relies on assistance to live with dignity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

Mr Hayayei, who had cerebral palsy, died at the scene.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

Logan Lye has cerebral palsy and learning disabilities.

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026

My brother, who has cerebral palsy and is developmentally disabled, is two years older than I am.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 10, 2026

And after several exchanges Rosa’s told me that she has been in a wheelchair her whole life, that she can walk but only with arm crutches, and that she was born with cerebral palsy.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen