Willa CatherWarren E. LearyAda BrownellMark PurcellJohn C. Culver 
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What Can atrophy?
From its literal Greek roots, atrophy would mean basically "lack of nourishment". Although the English word doesn't usually imply any lack of food, it always refers to a wasting away. Those who have been bedridden for a period of time will notice that their muscles have atrophied. And muscular atrophy is a frequent result of such diseases as cancer and AIDS. We also use atrophy in a much more general sense. After being out of work a few years, you may find your work skills have atrophied; someone who's been living an isolated life may discover the same thing about his or her social skills; and a democracy can atrophy when its citizens cease to pay attention to how they're being governed.
Examples of atrophy in a Sentence
Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2025
That’s the approximate cost per dose of a breakthrough gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy.
—Daniel Wine, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2025
In March 2022, a doctor in Philadelphia explained that one of my vocal cords was atrophying.
—Michael Snyder, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Atrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrophy. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
atrophy
1 of 2 noun
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