Definition of "autism"

autism

/ˈɔːtɪzəm/

noun
usually uncountable, plural autisms
1. (clinical psychology) A pervasive neurological condition that is observable in early childhood and persists throughout the lifespan, characterised by atypical communication, language development, eye contact, and sensory experiences.
  Quotations
  Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.
  2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist‎, volume 407, number 8842, London: The Economist Group, archived from the original on 2023-07-27, pages 72–3
  1. (broadly) Synonym of autism spectrum; a range of disorders.
2. (clinical psychology, obsolete) A diagnosis involving a pathological tendency to engage in self-centered fantasy thinking, historically considered a symptom of insanity and/or schizophrenia.
3. (Internet slang, offensive, derogatory or self-deprecatory) Abnormal and unhealthy focus or persistence, stereotypically coupled with low self-awareness and unhealthy hatred of opposition or criticism.