Meanings
- not comparablerelationalanatomyOf or relating to the part of the autonomic nervous system that inhibits or opposes the effects of the sympathetic nervous system. It consists of nerves arising from the brain and the lower end of the spinal cord and supplying the internal organs, blood vessels, and glands.
Antonyms: sympathetic
plural parasympathetics
- anatomyA parasympathetic nerve.
- abbreviationellipsismedicineEllipsis of parasympathetic nervous system.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf or relating to the part of the autonomic nervous system that inhibits or opposes the effects of the sympathetic nervous system. It consists of nerves arising from the brain and the lower end of the spinal cord and supplying the internal organs, blood vessels, and glands.
More synonyms by meaning
nounoriginates in the brain stem and lower part of the spinal cord; opposes physiological effects of the sympathetic nervous system: stimulates digestive secretions; slows the heart; constricts the pupils; dilates blood vessels
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From para- (“beside, adjacent to”) + sympathetic, because some of these nerves run alongside sympathetic nerves.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan parasimpàtic
- parasimpàticrelating to part of the autonomic nervous system
Chinese Mandarin 副交感的
- 副交感的 (fùjiāogǎnde)relating to part of the autonomic nervous system
French parasympathique
- parasympathiquerelating to part of the autonomic nervous system
Greek παρασυμπαθητικός
- παρασυμπαθητικός (parasympathitikós)relating to part of the autonomic nervous system
Hungarian paraszimpatikus
- paraszimpatikusrelating to part of the autonomic nervous system
Italian parasimpatico
- parasimpaticorelating to part of the autonomic nervous system
Polish przywspółczulny
- przywspółczulnyrelating to part of the autonomic nervous system
Spanish parasimpático
- parasimpáticorelating to part of the autonomic nervous system
Swedish parasympatisk
- parasympatiskrelating to part of the autonomic nervous system
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with parasympathetic
Cite this entry
parasympathetic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parasympathetic
“parasympathetic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parasympathetic. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “parasympathetic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parasympathetic.
Source: parasympathetic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.