sclerotic
Americanadjective
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Anatomy. Also of or relating to the sclera.
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Pathology, Botany. pertaining to or affected with sclerosis.
adjective
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of or relating to the sclera
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of, relating to, or having sclerosis
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botany characterized by the hardening and strengthening of cell walls
noun
Other Word Forms
- subsclerotic adjective
Etymology
Origin of sclerotic
1535–45; < New Latin sclērōticus of hardening, equivalent to Greek sklērṓt ( ēs ) hardness (derivative of sklērós hard; see sclero-) + New Latin -icus -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.
Meanwhile, with very poor demographics and a sclerotic economy, Japan is less likely to grow its way out of its debt problem than the U.S.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
It generates societal wealth by breaking down a sclerotic status quo and bringing better living standards.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025
He spoke at length about the Pentagon’s top-heavy bureaucracy, its resistance to innovation, and the need for outsiders, especially from Silicon Valley, to overhaul the sclerotic weapons-procurement process.
From Slate • Jan. 15, 2025
"Repression of social problems by governments allow bureaucracies to rot and become sclerotic as the social pressure builds to the point where bureaucracies are exploded."
From Salon • Sep. 6, 2024
In the Mammalia the eye is largely enclosed in the orbit, and bony plates in the sclerotic are only found in the monotremes.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 "Evangelical Church Conference" to "Fairbairn, Sir William" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
