sclerosis
n. C / Un. a medical condition where body tissue becomes hard and stiff. It can also describe a situation where a system or organization stops changing and becomes stuck.
n. the abnormal hardening of body tissue, typically caused by inflammation, disease, or increased connective tissue. In a figurative sense, refers to a state of rigidity or inability to adapt within an organization or system.
The doctor explained how sclerosis affects the nervous system.
The company suffered from a kind of institutional sclerosis that made it impossible to launch new products quickly.
While the medical team focused on treating the physical sclerosis of the patient's arteries, the social worker addressed the bureaucratic sclerosis preventing the family from accessing necessary benefits.
From Ancient Greek σκλήρωσις (sklḗrōsis, “hardening”), from σκληρόω (sklēróō, “to harden”), from σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”); by surface analysis, sclero- + -osis.
Uncountable when referring to the general medical process; countable when referring to specific types of the disease (e.g., multiple sclerosis).