cerebral palsy

noun

: a disability resulting from damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth and outwardly manifested by muscular incoordination and speech disturbances
cerebral-palsied
sə-ˈrē-brəl-ˈpȯl-zēd How to pronounce cerebral palsy (audio)
ˈser-ə-
ˈse-rə-
adjective

Examples of cerebral palsy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That same week, a girl who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was supposed to arrive home at 3:20 p.m. and her bus dropped her off after 5. Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Advertisement Today, the organization provides services to about 2,000 children and adults throughout the county with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2023 Related article Inside the Super Bowl halftime show Bear, who has cerebral palsy and sometimes uses a wheelchair, couldn’t choose her seats and ended up in a section that wasn’t wheelchair accessible. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 Hancock’s younger brother, David Craig, was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, leaving him with cerebral palsy. Emma Goldberg Desiree Rios, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024 Melody Brooks is navigating sixth grade as a nonverbal wheelchair user who has cerebral palsy. Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Dec. 2023 But both have children with disabilities: Ms. Hassan’s son, Ben, 35, has severe cerebral palsy. Kayla Guo, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2023 Hubley said in a GoFundMe page raising money for legal expenses that her son is blind, autistic and has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 26 Dec. 2023 With Pregnant Wife in Coma, Virginia Man Fights to Save Her and Their Baby-to-Be: 'Miracles Can Happen' Micro-preemies often struggle with long-term challenges such as intellectual disabilities, hearing loss, blindness, cerebral palsy and chronic lung disease. Wendy Grossman Kantor, Peoplemag, 24 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cerebral palsy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cerebral palsy was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near cerebral palsy

Cite this Entry

“Cerebral palsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cerebral%20palsy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cerebral palsy

noun
: a disease resulting from damage to the brain usually before or during birth and resulting in imperfect control of muscles, paralysis, and speech disturbances

Medical Definition

cerebral palsy

noun
: a disability resulting from damage to the brain before, during, or shortly after birth and outwardly manifested by muscular incoordination and speech disturbances see ataxic cerebral palsy, athetoid cerebral palsy, spastic cerebral palsy
cerebral palsied adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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