multiple sclerosis

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a chronic degenerative, often episodic disease of the central nervous system marked by patchy destruction of the myelin that surrounds and insulates nerve fibers, usually appearing in young adulthood and manifested by one or more mild to severe neural and muscular impairments, as spastic weakness in one or more limbs, local sensory losses, bladder dysfunction, or visual disturbances.

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multiple sclerosis British  

noun

1. Also called: disseminated sclerosis.  a chronic progressive disease of the central nervous system characterized by loss of some of the myelin sheath surrounding certain nerve fibres and resulting in speech and visual disorders, tremor, muscular incoordination, partial paralysis, etc

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multiple sclerosis Scientific  

/ sklə-rō′sĭs /

1. A chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system in which gradual destruction of myelin occurs in the brain or spinal cord or both, interfering with the nerve pathways and causing muscular weakness, loss of coordination, and speech and visual disturbances. It occurs chiefly in young adults and is thought to be caused by a defect in the immune system that may be of genetic or viral origin.

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multiple sclerosis Cultural  

1. A chronic disease of the central nervous system characterized by the hardening of patches of tissue in the brain and spinal cord. The cause of this disease has to do with damage to the sheathes of nerves, and there is no specific treatment. It occurs in varying degrees of severity and, in the worst case, can result in permanent paralysis.

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Etymology

Origin of multiple sclerosis

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Its aging multiple sclerosis franchise continues to suffer losses that must be offset by newer drugs.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

His lawyers said he was being treated in the Swiss city of Geneva for multiple sclerosis and condemned the trial as a farce.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Secondary goals in both relapsing multiple sclerosis studies showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in brain lesions, Roche said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

The dataset included healthy individuals as well as people diagnosed with 13 different diseases, including Crohn's disease, colorectal cancer, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis.

From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2026

He lived his life in defiance of that very prospect, assiduously looking after our car, paying the bills on time, never discussing his advancing multiple sclerosis nor missing a day of work.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama