apraxia
|a-prax-si-a|
/əˈpræk.si.ə/
loss of purposeful action / motor planning failure
Etymology
'apraxia' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'apraxia', where the prefix 'a-' meant 'without' and 'praxis' meant 'action' or 'doing'.
'apraxia' entered modern medical/Latin usage in the 19th century as a technical term for inability to perform actions; it was adopted into English medical vocabulary with little change from the Neo-Latin form.
Initially it literally meant 'without action' in Greek, but over time it evolved into the clinical term describing a specific inability to plan or execute learned movements despite preserved strength and comprehension.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to execute learned, purposeful movements despite having the desire and the physical capacity to perform the movements; impairment of motor planning (not due to weakness, sensory loss, or comprehension deficit).
After the stroke, he developed apraxia and could not button his shirt even though his hands were strong and he knew how to do it.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a specific form affecting speech (apraxia of speech or verbal apraxia): a motor speech disorder in which the brain has difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed for intelligible speech.
The patient was diagnosed with apraxia of speech after neurological assessment revealed inconsistent articulation errors.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/28 06:04