non-ambulatory
|non-am-bu-la-to-ry|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˈæmbjəˌlɛri/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈæmbjʊlətəri/
not able to walk
Etymology
'non-ambulatory' is a Modern English formation combining the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') with 'ambulatory', which ultimately originates from Latin 'ambulare', where 'ambul-' meant 'to walk'.
'ambulatory' comes from Late Latin 'ambulatorius' derived from Latin 'ambulare', passed into Old French and Middle English as 'ambulatory', and in Modern English the negative prefix 'non-' was attached to form 'non-ambulatory'.
Initially, 'ambulatory' meant 'able to walk'; over time the negative formation 'non-ambulatory' developed in medical usage to mean 'not able to walk' or 'requiring assistance to move'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
unable to walk; not ambulatory — used especially in medical contexts to describe patients who cannot walk independently or require assistance to move.
After the surgery the patient was non-ambulatory and needed help with transfers.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/21 13:58