dysplasia

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/dɪsˈpleɪ.ʒə//-zɪə/

noun

Abnormal development of cells or tissue, often a precancerous stage of growth.

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Word of the Day · May 31, 2025

Meanings

noundysplasia (countable and uncountable, plural dysplasias)

plural dysplasias

  1. countableuncountablemedicineAbnormal development of cells or tissue, often a precancerous stage of growth.
  2. countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe trauma caused by asynchronous psychological development on children.

    A number of theorists and researchers have independently written about asynchronous development. Gowan (1974) discussed the implications of cognitive capacities which outstrip emotional (affective) development. He referred to asynchronous development as "dysplasia": […]

    1992 January 28, Martha J. Morelock, “Giftedness: The view from within”, in Understanding Our Gifted, volume 4, number 3, United States, archived from the original on 08 Sep 2025, pages 10-15

Origin

* From dys- + -plasia. * (psychology): Introduced by John Curtis Gowan in 1974.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan displàsia
  • displàsiaabnormal development of cells or tissue
Chinese Mandarin 發育不良 /发育不良
  • 發育不良 /发育不良 (fāyù bùliáng)abnormal development of cells or tissue
Czech dysplasie
  • dysplasieabnormal development of cells or tissue
Finnish dysplasia
  • dysplasiaabnormal development of cells or tissue
French dysplasie
  • dysplasieabnormal development of cells or tissue
German Dysplasie
  • Dysplasieabnormal development of cells or tissue
Greek δυσπλασία
  • δυσπλασία (dysplasía)abnormal development of cells or tissue
Indonesian dispepsia
  • dispepsiaabnormal development of cells or tissue
Irish diospláise
  • diospláiseabnormal development of cells or tissue
Polish dysplazja
  • dysplazjaabnormal development of cells or tissue
Portuguese displasia
  • displasiaabnormal development of cells or tissue
Russian дисплази́я
  • дисплази́я (displazíja)abnormal development of cells or tissue
Slovak dysplázia
  • dyspláziaabnormal development of cells or tissue
Spanish displasia
  • displasiaabnormal development of cells or tissue
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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