Meanings
proper noun
- medicineAn inherited disease in which reduced expression of frataxin causes progressive damage to the nervous system.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounsclerosis of the posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord; characterized by muscular weakness and abnormal gait; occurs in children
Similar
hereditary spinal ataxia
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Named after the German physician Nikolaus Friedreich, who first described it in the 1860s.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Indonesian ataksia Friedreich
- ataksia Friedreichan inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system
Portuguese ataxia de Friedreich
- ataxia de Friedreichan inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system
Cite this entry
APA
Friedreich's ataxia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Friedreich's%20ataxia
MLA
“Friedreich's ataxia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Friedreich's%20ataxia. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Friedreich's ataxia,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Friedreich's%20ataxia.
Source: Friedreich's ataxia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.