Standard Lemma guide

quadriplegia

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˌkwɑdɹɪˈplid͡ʒə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkwɒdɹɪˈpliːd͡ʒə/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Paralysis from the neck down.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Paralysis of all four limbs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

paralysis of both arms and both legs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: paralysis, palsy

History

Etymology

From quadri- (“four”) + -plegia, from Ancient Greek πλήσσειν (plḗssein, “to strike”); probably patterned after paraplegia.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: neliraajahalvaus — paralysis from the neck down
  • Catalan: tetraplegia — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Czech: kvadruplegie — paralysis of all four limbs
  • French: quadriplégie — paralysis of all four limbs
  • French: tétraplégie — paralysis of all four limbs
  • German: Quadriplegie — paralysis of all four limbs
  • German: Tetraplegie — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Icelandic: lömun allra útlima — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Icelandic: allömun útlima — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Icelandic: lömun á höndum og fótum — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Romanian: tetraplegie — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Romanian: cvadriplegie — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Serbo-Croatian: квадриплѐгија — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Serbo-Croatian: kvadriplègija — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Slovak: kvadruplégia — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Spanish: tetraplejia — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Spanish: tetraplejía — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Spanish: cuadriplejia — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Spanish: cuadriplejía — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Spanish: cuadraplejia — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Spanish: cuadraplejía — paralysis of all four limbs
  • Volapük: follimaflap — paralysis of all four limbs