autism

aut·ism
A1U1T1I1S1M3
UK/ˈɔːtɪzəm/Australia, British, New Zealand, Southern, Standard/ˈoːtɪzəm/US/ˈɔtɪzəm/US, cot caught merger/ˈɑtɪzəm/

noun

Autism spectrum disorder, a condition characterized by impairment in social communication and interaction, as well as a need or strong preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing differences, focused interests, or repetitive behaviours. This includes classic autism as well as other, previously distinct disorders such as Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.

“weaponized autism”

CommonFirst used 2013 with the release of the DSM-5Scrabble 8

Meanings

nounautism (usually uncountable, plural autisms)

plural autisms

  1. uncountableusuallyclinical psychologyAutism spectrum disorder, a condition characterized by impairment in social communication and interaction, as well as a need or strong preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing differences, focused interests, or repetitive behaviours. This includes classic autism as well as other, previously distinct disorders such as Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.First known use 2013 with the release of the DSM-5
  2. dateduncountableusuallyclinical psychologyClassic autism, a pervasive neurological condition that is observable in early childhood and persists throughout the lifespan, characterised by atypical communication patterns (e.g., differences in body language or eye contact), delayed language development, and sensory processing sensitivities.

    Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.

    2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 Jul 2023, pages 72–3
  3. obsoleteuncountableusuallyclinical psychologyA diagnosis involving a pathological tendency to engage in self-centered fantasy thinking, historically considered a symptom of insanity or schizophrenia.
  4. Internetoffensiveuncountableusuallyderogatory or self-deprecatoryAbnormal and unhealthy focus or persistence, stereotypically coupled with low self-awareness and unhealthy hatred of opposition or criticism.

    weaponized autism

  5. InternetdeliberatehumorousmisspellinguncountableusuallyDeliberate misspelling of autumn.First known use 2024

    it's finally autism

Synonyms & antonyms

Narrower

nouna spectrum disorder marked by characteristics such as social communication, sensory processing differences, focused interests, and repetitive behaviors

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekαὐτός“self”
  2. GermanAutismus
  3. Englishautism

Borrowed from German Autismus, coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, first usage dated to 1907 attributed by Carl Jung as an alternative of his for "auto-erotism", although Bleuler himself differentiates the terms in his book Dementia Praecox, first published 1911. From Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”) + -ισμός (-ismós, “-ism”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans outisme
  • outismeneurological disorder
Arabic تَوَحُّد, مَرَض التَّوَحُّد
  • تَوَحُّد (tawaḥḥud)neurological disorder
  • مَرَض التَّوَحُّد (maraḍ at-tawaḥḥud)neurological disorder
Basque autismo
  • autismoneurological disorder
Bengali অটিজম
  • অটিজম (oṭijom)neurological disorder
Bulgarian аути́зъм
  • аути́зъм (autízăm)neurological disorder
Catalan autisme
  • autismeneurological disorder
Chinese Mandarin 自閉症 /自闭症, 孤獨症 /孤独症
  • 自閉症 /自闭症 (zìbìzhèng)neurological disorder
  • 孤獨症 /孤独症 (gūdúzhèng)neurological disorder
Czech autismus
  • autismusneurological disorder
Danish autisme
  • autismeneurological disorder
Dutch autisme
  • autismeneurological disorder
Esperanto aŭtismo
  • aŭtismoneurological disorder
Estonian autism
  • autismneurological disorder
Finnish autismi
  • autismineurological disorder
French autisme
  • autismeneurological disorder
German Autismus
  • Autismusneurological disorder
Greek αυτισμός
  • αυτισμός (aftismós)neurological disorder
Hebrew אוטיזם
  • אוטיזם (otizm)neurological disorder
Hindi स्वलीनता
  • स्वलीनता (svalīntā)neurological disorder
Hungarian autizmus
  • autizmusneurological disorder
Icelandic einhverfa
  • einhverfaneurological disorder
Indonesian autisme
  • autismeneurological disorder
Irish uathachas
  • uathachasneurological disorder
Italian autismo
  • autismoneurological disorder
Japanese 自閉症
  • 自閉症 (jiheishō)neurological disorder
Korean 자폐증
  • 자폐증 (japyejeung)neurological disorder
Latin autismus
  • autismusneurological disorder
Lithuanian autizmas
  • autizmasneurological disorder
Malay autisme
  • autismeneurological disorder
Māori takiwātanga, matetakiwātanga
  • takiwātanganeurological disorder
  • matetakiwātanganeurological disorder
  • mate takiwātanganeurological disorder
Norwegian Bokmål autisme
  • autismeneurological disorder
Persian درخودماندگی
  • درخودماندگی (darxodmândegi)neurological disorder
Polish autyzm
  • autyzmneurological disorder
Portuguese autismo
  • autismoneurological disorder
Punjabi ਔਟਿਜ਼ਮ
  • ਔਟਿਜ਼ਮ (auṭizam)neurological disorder
Romanian autism
  • autismneurological disorder
Russian аути́зм
  • аути́зм (autízm)neurological disorder
Scottish Gaelic uathachas
  • uathachasneurological disorder
Slovak autizmus
  • autizmusneurological disorder
Spanish autismo
  • autismoneurological disorder
Swahili usonji
  • usonjineurological disorder
Swedish autism
  • autismneurological disorder
Tagalog autismo
  • autismoneurological disorder
Tamil ஆட்டிசம், மதி இறுக்கம்
  • ஆட்டிசம் (āṭṭicam)neurological disorder
  • மதி இறுக்கம் (mati iṟukkam)neurological disorder
  • மதியிறுக்கம் (matiyiṟukkam)neurological disorder
Thai ความหมกหมุ่น
  • ความหมกหมุ่น (Khwām h̄mk h̄ mùn)neurological disorder
Turkish otizm, iç yöneliklik
  • otizmneurological disorder
  • iç yöneliklikneurological disorder
Ukrainian аути́зм, авти́зм
  • аути́зм (autýzm)neurological disorder
  • авти́зм (avtýzm)neurological disorder
Vietnamese tự kỉ
  • tự kỉneurological disorder
Welsh awtistiaeth
  • awtistiaethneurological disorder
Yiddish אויטיזם
  • אויטיזם (oytizm)neurological disorder

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

autism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autism

MLA

“autism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autism.

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