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retinitis pigmentosa

American  
[pig-men-toh-suh, -muhn-] / ˌpɪg mɛnˈtoʊ sə, -mən- /

noun

Ophthalmology.
  1. degeneration of the retina manifested by night blindness and gradual loss of peripheral vision, eventually resulting in tunnel vision or total blindness.


retinitis pigmentosa British  
/ ˌpɪɡmənˈtəʊsə /

noun

  1. a degenerative hereditary disease of the human eye, characterized by pigmentary changes in the retina, night blindness, and eventual loss of vision

"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

retinitis pigmentosa Scientific  
/ rĕt′n-ī′tĭspĭg′mĕn-tō′sə /
  1. A hereditary degenerative disease of the retina, characterized by difficulty seeing at night, pigmentary changes within the retina, and eventual loss of vision.


Etymology

Origin of retinitis pigmentosa

1860–65; < New Latin: pigmentary retinitis. See pigment, -ose 1


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.

See Examples For:

The researchers also found that the treatment could restore innate light-avoidance behavior in mouse models of age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

That designation was later withdrawn or revoked by BioDiem, an Australian biotech that had planned to test epitalon for retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that affects at least 80,000 people in the U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at 18, Petrou later advocated for “EyeBonds” and tax incentives to fund blindness research.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026

McCausland, 47, was registered blind after losing his sight to retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary condition, in his 20s.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2025

It’s called retinitis pigmentosa and it’s like watching the world through a toilet paper roll.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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