paraplegia

American  

[par-uh-plee-jee-uh, -juh] / ˌpær əˈpli dʒi ə, -dʒə /

noun

Pathology.

1. paralysis of both lower limbs due to spinal disease or injury.

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paraplegia British  

/ ˌpærəˈpliːdʒə /

noun

1. pathol paralysis of the lower half of the body, usually as the result of disease or injury of the spine Compare hemiplegia quadriplegia

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paraplegia Scientific  

/ păr′ə-plē′jē-ə /

1. Paralysis of the lower part of the body, caused by injury to the spinal cord.

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Other Word Forms

• paraplegic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of paraplegia

First recorded in 1580–90; from New Latin, from Ionic Greek (Hippocrates) paraplēgíē; “hemiplegia”; see para- ¹, -plegia

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Compare meaning

How does paraplegia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• tetraplegia vs. paraplegia
• paraplegia vs. hemiplegia

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paraplegia

By analyzing 2,811 people with ataxia, hereditary spastic paraplegia, and dystonia, scientists identified harmful variants in a gene called CD99L2 as the cause of X-linked spastic ataxia.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 13, 2026

It suggested a number of conditions, including hereditary spastic paraplegia, which Phoebe presented to her GP.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026

The plaintiff, Darwin Boggs, has paraplegia and uses a wheelchair when traveling in public, the suit said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024

The coroner’s report cited complications from paraplegia, but Ms. Swope blamed his isolated life in the trailer.

From New York Times ● Jul. 23, 2022

In the vertebral column, hydatids give rise to angular deformity and paraplegia.

From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Alexis Thomson

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