sclerotic

1 of 2

adjective

scle·​rot·​ic sklə-ˈrä-tik How to pronounce sclerotic (audio)
1
a
medical : of, relating to, or affected with sclerosis (see sclerosis sense 1)
sclerotic arteries
sclerotic bone lesions
b
: grown rigid or unresponsive especially with age : unable or reluctant to adapt or compromise
a sclerotic system/bureaucracy
the country's sclerotic economy
The upheaval in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and elsewhere is driven by popular revulsion with sclerotic, corrupt leadership.Rachel Bronson
2
anatomy : being or relating to the sclera
the sclerotic coat of the eye

sclerotic

2 of 2

noun

: sclera

Examples of sclerotic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Scholars have long asserted that the ways in which Confucianism was applied to nineteenth-century Chinese politics had left the country sclerotic—unable to engage with modern Western ideologies such as capitalism, liberalism, and nationalism. Rana Mitter, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Palantir hired Ukrainian engineers who could adapt its software for the war effort, while also serving as interlocutors between the tech company and Ukraine’s sclerotic bureaucracy. TIME, 8 Feb. 2024 In the medium term, the governments in the West and the Arab world that fund the PA should use their leverage to encourage the PA’s current generation of sclerotic leaders to retire and push for a new generation of vibrant leaders to replace them. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 4 Jan. 2024 But it was powered by profound public discontent with Argentina’s sclerotic status quo, especially from a generation of younger voters who have seen little relief from years of endemic fiscal crisis and debt, and have no more patience for the appeals and soothsaying of the establishment. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 Becker shows that proponents of Brexit talked surprisingly little about the past and tried, in fact, to hang nostalgia’s toxic millstone around the necks of Remainers, accusing them of a softhearted attachment to the now sclerotic dream of European unity. Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 Since the fall of Mobutu in 1997, Congo has been racked by conflict, and its sclerotic centralized government has failed to diversify the economy to insulate it from price fluctuations. Nicolas Niarchos, The New York Review of Books, 16 Nov. 2023 Saudi official statements and media conspicuously avoided any mention of Hamas, instead focusing on shoring up the rival, sclerotic Palestinian Authority, as well as diplomatic efforts by the Saudi foreign minister and allies in Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf. Bymohamed El Aassar, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2023 The Palestinian leadership is aging, unpopular, and sclerotic. Ghaith Al-Omari, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Medieval Latin sclerotica, from Greek *sklērōtos, verbal of Greek sklēroun to harden

First Known Use

Adjective

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1690, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sclerotic was in 1543

Dictionary Entries Near sclerotic

Cite this Entry

“Sclerotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sclerotic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sclerotic

1 of 2 adjective
scle·​rot·​ic sklə-ˈrät-ik How to pronounce sclerotic (audio)
1
: being or relating to the sclera
2
: of, relating to, or affected with sclerosis

sclerotic

2 of 2 noun
: sclera

Medical Definition

sclerotic

1 of 2 adjective
scle·​rot·​ic sklə-ˈrät-ik How to pronounce sclerotic (audio)
1
: being or relating to the sclera
the sclerotic layer of the eye
2
: of, relating to, or affected with sclerosis
a sclerotic blood vessel

sclerotic

2 of 2 noun
: sclera
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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