hypermobility

noun

plural hypermobilities
: an increase in the range of movement of which a body part and especially a joint is capable
… don't continually try to pop your joints (i.e., crack your knuckles). This practice tends to create hypermobility and can lead to instability of the joint. Yoga Journal
There is evidence that hypermobility—the loose joints that many musicians have—seems to prevent repetitive-motion injuries. Industry Week
hypermobile adjective
hypermobile joints
a hypermobile patient [=a patient with hypermobile joints]
But for me, retinal damage was a symptom of a connective-tissue disorder, characterized by hypermobile joints and the threat of auditory and visual loss. Richard Lane

Examples of hypermobility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In another video, a user with hypermobility—when joints have an unusually large range of motion—shares how the changing seasons worsen her symptoms. Alyssa Hui, Health, 28 Oct. 2024 She’s specifically dealt with injuries related to her hypermobility, which means her joints stretch further than normal. Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypermobility was in 1896

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Cite this Entry

“Hypermobility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypermobility. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

hypermobility

noun
plural hypermobilities
: an increase in the range of movement of which a body part and especially a joint is capable
hypermobility of the left temporomandibular joint due to the looseness of the capsular ligaments W. B. Farrar
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