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
Mari Pressley, Charlotte Observer, 3 Mar. 2025
Hippocampal volume preservation: Exercise has been shown to prevent hippocampal atrophy (degeneration or shrinkage) and improve spatial memory, the physician said.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
Ross Douthat, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025
Thanks to automation, which had taken over many of their routine tasks, some of their skills had atrophied.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Nov. 2011
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Cite this Entry
“Atrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrophy. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
atrophy
1 of 2 noun
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