sclerotic

American  

[skli-rot-ik] / sklɪˈrɒt ɪk /

adjective

1. Anatomy. Also of or relating to the sclera.

2. Pathology, Botany. pertaining to or affected with sclerosis.

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sclerotic British  

/ sklɪəˈrɒtɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the sclera

2. of, relating to, or having sclerosis

3. botany characterized by the hardening and strengthening of cell walls

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noun

1. another name for sclera

Other Word Forms

• subsclerotic adjective

Etymology

Origin of sclerotic

1535–45; < New Latin sclērōticus of hardening, equivalent to Greek sklērṓt ( ēs ) hardness (derivative of sklērós hard; see sclero-) + New Latin -icus -ic

Example Sentences

She was elected in October on her promise to revitalize Japan’s sclerotic economy and to bring down food inflation, which eclipsed 7% last year.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Those choices will arrive faster for Europe given its sclerotic economic growth, but they could also hit the U.S. if economic growth disappoints.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

He spoke at length about the Pentagon’s top-heavy bureaucracy, its resistance to innovation, and the need for outsiders, especially from Silicon Valley, to overhaul the sclerotic weapons-procurement process.

From Slate • Jan. 15, 2025

"Repression of social problems by governments allow bureaucracies to rot and become sclerotic as the social pressure builds to the point where bureaucracies are exploded."

From Salon • Sep. 6, 2024

The initial lesion is in the media but the resulting sclerotic changes depend upon the kind of vessel, the strength of the coats, the pressure in the vessel, and other causes.

From Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension: with Chapters on Blood Pressure, 3rd Edition. by Warfield, Louis Marshall