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Synonyms

quadriplegic

American  
[kwod-ruh-plee-jik, -plej-ik] / ˌkwɒd rəˈpli dʒɪk, -ˈplɛdʒ ɪk /
Sometimes quadraplegic

adjective

  1. having quadriplegia; paralyzed from the neck down or in all four limbs as a result of disease or injury.


noun

  1. a person who is paralyzed in this way.

quadriplegic British  
/ ˌkwɒdrɪˈpliːdʒɪk /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or afflicted with qudriplegia

"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

noun

  1. a person afflicted with quadriplegia

"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

Etymology

Origin of quadriplegic

First recorded in 1960–65; quadripleg(ia) + -ic

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.

He fell into a coma, became incontinent and quadriplegic.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

After coming out of the coma, he was quadriplegic, struggled to communicate and needed constant care.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

Luis Cervantes chose to move home after recovering from a car accident that made him a quadriplegic.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 27, 2024

But I represented a young Black man who was quadriplegic whose elderly parents tried to help get him an ID several times, unsuccessfully.

From Slate • Oct. 2, 2024

I sat one day with a man who’d gone off young and healthy to an overseas deployment, leaving behind a pregnant wife, and had come back quadriplegic, unable to move his arms or legs.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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