alopecia

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UK/ˌæl.əʊˈpiː.ʃə/US/æloʊˈpiː.ʃ(i)ə/US/æloʊˈpiː.si.ə/

noun

Baldness.

Meanings

nounalopecia (countable and uncountable, plural alopecias)

plural alopecias · alternative dated alopecy

  1. countableuncountableBaldness.
  2. countableuncountablemedicineA deficiency of the hair, which may be caused by a failure to grow or loss after growth.
  3. countableuncountablemedicineA loss of hair (especially on the head) or loss of wool or feathers, whether natural or caused by disease.

    “Jada, can’t wait for GI Jane 2,” Rock said in an apparent reference to her shaved hair, which is a result of the hair loss condition alopecia.

    2022 March 28, Nadia Khomami, “‘Violence instead of words’: Will Smith condemned for hitting Chris Rock at the Oscars”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 20 Apr 2022
    1 more example

    At least 40% of women experience hair loss or alopecia over their lifetimes. This could be alopecia areata (patchy hair loss), traction alopecia (strained hair loss) or another form. The different ways that women’s hair loss has been depicted across art history demonstrates the many different ways it has been interpreted over the years. In 16th and 17th century Britain, for example, women’s alopecia was sometimes interpreted as retribution for sins, including adultery.

    2024 March 31, Glen Jankowski, “Alopecia in art history: The many ways women’s hair loss has been interpreted”, in CNN, archived from the original on 12 Oct 2025

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἀλωπεκία“fox-mange”
  2. Latinalōpecia
  3. Englishalopecia

Borrowed from Latin alōpecia, from the Ancient Greek ἀλωπεκία (alōpekía, “fox-mange”), from ἀλώπηξ (alṓpēx, “fox”) + -ία (-ía, a formative ending used in Ancient Greek, especially used in naming diseases).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic ثَعْلَبَة, حَاصَّة
  • ثَعْلَبَة (ṯaʕlaba)medicine: loss of hair
  • حَاصَّة (ḥāṣṣa)medicine: loss of hair
Catalan alopècia, alopècia
  • alopèciapathology: deficiency of the hair
  • alopèciamedicine: loss of hair
Finnish kaljuuntuminen, alopekia
  • kaljuuntuminenpathology: deficiency of the hair
  • alopekiapathology: deficiency of the hair
  • kaljuuntuminenmedicine: loss of hair
  • alopeciamedicine: loss of hair
French alopécie, alopécie
  • alopéciepathology: deficiency of the hair
  • alopéciemedicine: loss of hair
German Haarlosigkeit, Haarausfall
  • Haarlosigkeitpathology: deficiency of the hair
  • Haarausfallmedicine: loss of hair
Greek αλωπεκία
  • αλωπεκία (alopekía)medicine: loss of hair
Hungarian hajhullás
  • hajhullásmedicine: loss of hair
Indonesian alopesia, alopesia
  • alopesiapathology: deficiency of the hair
  • alopesiamedicine: loss of hair
Polish łysienie, alopecja
  • łysieniemedicine: loss of hair
  • alopecjamedicine: loss of hair
Portuguese alopecia, alopécia
  • alopeciamedicine: loss of hair
  • alopéciamedicine: loss of hair
Russian алопе́ция, облысе́ние
  • алопе́ция (alopécija)pathology: deficiency of the hair
  • облысе́ние (oblysénije)medicine: loss of hair
Spanish alopecia, alopecia
  • alopeciapathology: deficiency of the hair
  • alopeciamedicine: loss of hair
  • lopigiamedicine: loss of hair
Turkish alopesi, saçkıran
  • alopesimedicine: loss of hair
  • saçkıranmedicine: loss of hair

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with alopecia

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

alopecia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alopecia

MLA

“alopecia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alopecia. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alopecia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alopecia.

Source: alopecia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.