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dystrophy

American  
[dis-truh-fee] / ˈdɪs trə fi /
Also dystrophia

noun

  1. Medicine/Medical. faulty or inadequate nutrition or development.

  2. Pathology. any of a number of disorders characterized by weakening, degeneration, or abnormal development of muscle.

  3. Ecology. the state of being dystrophic.


dystrophy British  
/ dɪsˈtrɒfɪk, ˈdɪstrəfɪ, dɪˈstrəʊfɪə /

noun

  1. any of various bodily disorders, characterized by wasting of tissues See also muscular dystrophy

  2. ecology a condition of lake water when it is too acidic and poor in oxygen to support life, resulting from excessive humus content

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • dystrophic adjective

Etymology

Origin of dystrophy

From the New Latin word dystrophia, dating back to 1885–90. See dys-, -trophy

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.

Sarcopenia is a form of muscular dystrophy associated with aging and is a popular condition for biotech companies that harbor greater goals of reversing or slowing aging to target.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

These conditions account for roughly 10% of inherited diseases, including cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

Andy was born with retinal dystrophy, an inherited condition causing progressive vision loss, which eventually leads to tunnel vision and potentially blindness.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

While the negative media play was partly justified, Duchenne muscular dystrophy has a poor prognosis.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

There were tiny babies with club feet, children who had paralyzed limbs from polio, adolescents dying from muscular dystrophy.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall