parkinson's disease: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Medical/Formal
Quick answer
What does “parkinson's disease” mean?
A progressive neurological disorder causing tremors, stiffness, slow movement, and impaired balance.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A progressive neurological disorder causing tremors, stiffness, slow movement, and impaired balance.
A long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement control, often associated with non-motor symptoms like depression and cognitive changes.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling of 'disease' is consistent.
Connotations
Identical medical connotations in both regions.
Frequency
Equally common in medical and general discourse in both BrE and AmE.
Grammar
How to Use “parkinson's disease” in a Sentence
Someone HAS Parkinson's disease.Parkinson's disease AFFECTS someone.To DIAGNOSE someone WITH Parkinson's disease.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “parkinson's disease” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- His condition is parkinsonising rapidly. (Very rare, non-standard)
- The medication aims to de-parkinsonise the movement. (Theoretical)
American English
- The disease Parkinsonised his motor functions. (Very rare, non-standard)
- Researchers seek to anti-parkinsonise the brain. (Theoretical)
adverb
British English
- He moved parkinsonianly. (Extremely rare, non-standard)
- The hand shook parkinsonianly. (Rare)
American English
- She walked parkinsonianly. (Rare)
- The progress was parkinsonianly slow. (Figurative, rare)
adjective
British English
- Parkinsonian symptoms
- A parkinsonian tremor
American English
- Parkinsonian features
- A parkinsonian gait
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used, except in pharmaceutical or healthcare industries discussing treatments.
Academic
Common in medical, neurological, and biological research papers.
Everyday
Used when discussing health, family, or public figures affected by the condition.
Technical
Precise term in clinical neurology, often discussed with stages (Hoehn and Yahr scale) and specific motor symptoms.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “parkinson's disease”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “parkinson's disease”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “parkinson's disease”
- Misspelling as 'Parkinsons' (without apostrophe)
- Incorrect capitalization ('parkinson's disease')
- Using as a countable noun ('a Parkinson's disease')
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Parkinson's disease itself is not fatal, but complications from the disease can be serious.
The exact cause is unknown, but it involves the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain.
Most cases are sporadic, but a small percentage have a genetic component.
People do not die directly from Parkinson's, but from associated complications like pneumonia or falls.
A progressive neurological disorder causing tremors, stiffness, slow movement, and impaired balance.
Parkinson's disease is usually medical/formal in register.
Parkinson's disease: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpɑː.kɪn.sənz dɪˈziːz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpɑːr.kɪn.sənz dɪˈziːz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The Parkinson's shuffle (referring to characteristic gait)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
PARK your car, but your hands are shaking – INson's DISEASE makes it hard.
Conceptual Metaphor
A rusting hinge (for stiffness and slowness of movement).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the standard, correct form?