# atrophy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæt.ɹə.fi/ · frequency rank #29,921

## Definitions
1. A reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease, injury or lack of use.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French atrophie, from Latin atrophia, from Ancient Greek ἀτροφία (atrophía, “a wasting away”), from ἄτροφος (átrophos, “ill-fed, un-nourished”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + τροφή (trophḗ, “nourishment”), from τρέφω (tréphō, “I fatten”). Equivalent to a- + -trophy.

## Common misspellings (11)
`artophy`, `atorphy`, `atrohpy`, `atrophhy`, `atrophyy`, `atropphy`, `atropyh`, `atrpohy`, `atrrophy`, `attrophy`, `tarophy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/atrophy