# abducens

CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abducens
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

a nerve in the body that helps you move your eye to the side. It is one of the nerves that controls how your eyes work together.

For teachers: the sixth cranial nerve, responsible for the lateral rectus muscle of the eye, which controls abduction of the eyeball. It is the only cranial nerve that innervates a muscle of the eye that moves it laterally.

## Examples

- The doctor checked the abducens nerve to see if the eye moved correctly.
- Damage to the abducens nerve can cause the eye to turn inward, making it difficult to look sideways.
- The patient's inability to abduct the right eye suggested a lesion in the abducens nerve, which is located in the brainstem and is vulnerable to various neurological insults.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.