DYSFUNCTION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dysfunction mean? 

• DYSFUNCTION (noun)
  The noun DYSFUNCTION has 1 sense:

1. (medicine) any disturbance in the functioning of an organ or body part or a disturbance in the functioning of a social group

  Familiarity information: DYSFUNCTION used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DYSFUNCTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(medicine) any disturbance in the functioning of an organ or body part or a disturbance in the functioning of a social group

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

disfunction; dysfunction

Context example:

sexual relationship dysfunction

Hypernyms ("dysfunction" is a kind of...):

pathology (any deviation from a healthy or normal condition)

Domain category:

medical specialty; medicine (the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "dysfunction"):

ED; erectile dysfunction; male erecticle dysfunction (impotence resulting from a man's inability to have or maintain an erection of his penis)

palsy; paralysis (loss of the ability to move a body part)

Derivation:

dysfunctional (impaired in function; especially of a bodily system or organ)

 Context examples 

The shape of the chest is often regarded as potential insight into a disease process, as in the case of barrel chest and respiratory dysfunction.

(Chest, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by progressive neurologic dysfunction, premature atherosclerosis and development of cataracts.

(Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis, NCI Thesaurus)

A condition characterized by long-standing brain dysfunction or damage, usually of three months duration or longer.

(Chronic Encephalopathy, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.

(Cialis, NCI Dictionary)

Memory dysfunction refers to the inability to store and retrieve information.

(Memory Dysfunction, NCI Thesaurus)

This sub-category deals with unconventional approaches whose purpose is to screen for and prevent health-related imbalances, dysfunction's and disease.

(Clinical Preventive Practices, NCI Thesaurus)

This disorder is associated with dysfunction of central nervous system centers that regulate respiration.

(Central Sleep Apnea Syndrome, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Clinical signs may include bladder or bowel dysfunction, paresthesia and weakness of the lower extremities.

(Cauda Equina Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

Several studies have implicated that desmosome dysfunction results in the delocalization and nuclear translocation of plakoglobin.

(Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

It also reduces the level of amyloid deposits in organs and prevents organ dysfunction.

(Anti-amyloid Monoclonal Antibody NEOD001, NCI Thesaurus)