high-functioning

American  

[hahy-fuhngk-shuh-ning] / ˈhaɪˈfʌŋk ʃə nɪŋ /

adjective

1. noting or relating to a person with a disability, chronic illness, or mental health issue who is able to fulfill more activities of daily living than others with the same condition.

   Psychiatrists called their child high-functioning during the autism assessment.

   It can be difficult for loved ones to spot the signs of high-functioning alcoholism.

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Usage

Both high-functioning and its less-common cousin low-functioning are frequently used in older literature to describe how much assistance an autistic person needs with activities of daily living. However, low-functioning can be demeaning, while high-functioning can be used to ignore a disability or illness and deny a person the help they need; thus, these terms are often considered offensive by many people in the autism community. They may also be considered offensive by those who are neurodivergent in other ways or who have chronic illnesses.

Etymology

Origin of high-functioning

First recorded in 1915–20, for the earlier sense “functioning at a high level”; 1985–90, for the current sense

Example Sentences

Still, it was caught flat-footed by the arrival of high-functioning chatbots in the form of ChatGPT in late 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

They also have a high-functioning autistic son, and Salmon himself underwent hip replacement surgery last year.

From BBC • Jan. 1, 2026

"By better understanding how different types of cathode materials degrade, we can help design a suite of high-functioning cathode materials for the world's energy needs."

From Science Daily • Dec. 29, 2025

Private equity, hedge funds, venture capital: For ambitious and high-functioning individuals, making morally disinterested, data-driven strategic decisions is the most obvious path to wealth and status.

From Slate • Jul. 10, 2025

“I love numbers, and I love math. My brain is high-functioning when it comes to numbers. Um...actually, I’m a genius. A math genius.”

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty