Word
neuroplasticity
Definition
n. the brain's ability to change and adapt throughout life by forming new connections. This happens when you learn new skills or recover from injuries.
n. the brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways in response to experience, learning, or injury. Uncountable; technical term.
Examples
“Neuroplasticity allows the brain to recover after a stroke.”
“Doctors use neuroplasticity principles to help patients regain motor function through targeted exercises.”
“Research into neuroplasticity has shown that even in older adults, the brain can develop new neural networks through consistent practice and cognitive stimulation.”
Examples
simple
“Neuroplasticity allows the brain to recover after a stroke.”
contextual
“Doctors use neuroplasticity principles to help patients regain motor function through targeted exercises.”
complex
“Research into neuroplasticity has shown that even in older adults, the brain can develop new neural networks through consistent practice and cognitive stimulation.”
Real-World Examples
“The researchers were surprised to see that the mushroom ingredient—it was being used to study a brain pathway regeneration concept called neuroplasticity —actually prevented the emergence of peripheral neuropathy.” “An intensive seven-day meditation retreat triggered striking changes across the brain and body, including shifts tied to neuroplasticity, immunity, metabolism, and natural pain relief.” Etymology
The term neuroplasticity is formed from the combining form neuro-, denoting the nervous system, the adjective plastic (malleable or adaptable), and the suffix -ity (forming abstract nouns). The construction was coined in the 20th century to describe the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.
The components are not new; neuro- appears in neurology, plastic in materials science, and -ity in countless abstract nouns. The novelty lies in their concatenation, a modern coinage reflecting 20th-century neuroscience's focus on adaptability. The term has since become standard in medical and psychological discourse.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/neuroplasticity