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myasthenia

American

[mahy-uhs-thee-nee-uh] / ˌmaɪ əsˈθi ni ə /

noun

Pathology.

muscle weakness.

myasthenia British

/ ˌmaɪəsˈθɛnɪk, ˌmaɪəsˈθiːnɪə /

noun

any muscular weakness
short for myasthenia gravis

"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

myasthenic adjective

Etymology

Origin of myasthenia

First recorded in 1855–60; my- + asthenia

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.

Nine-time Grand Slam champion Monica Seles has revealed she was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis - a neuromuscular autoimmune disease - three years ago.

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

His longtime partner, Keely Stahl, said the cause was myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disease that weakens the skeletal muscles.

From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2023

Bender confirmed her father’s death and said the cause was complications from myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease.

From Washington Post • Jul. 21, 2022

In patients with the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis, muscle cell receptors that induce contraction in response to acetylcholine are targeted by antibodies.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Esophageal paralysis is not uncommon in myasthenia gravis.

From Bronchoscopy and Esophagoscopy A Manual of Peroral Endoscopy and Laryngeal Surgery by Jackson, Chevalier

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023