Synonyms

quadriplegic

American

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

Sometimes quadraplegic

adjective

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

noun

a person who is paralyzed in this way.

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

He is now a quadriplegic and relies on a ventilator.

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

When I met her she was a paraplegic; eventually she became a quadriplegic.

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 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

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