Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
atactic

atactic

9.9
Not able to control body movements, making them unsteady or clumsy
  • adjective
  • /əˈtæktɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : atáctico
  • Children with atactic symptoms may have trouble coordinating their hands and feet during simple activities like throwing a ball.

Examples

  • After the accident, he suffered from atactic movements, making it difficult for him to walk.

  • Her atactic behavior was noticeable during the dance performance, as she struggled to keep in time with the music.

  • Which of the three atactic, cyndiotactic or isotactic would be most favorable from the standpoint of partial crystallization to loop back and forth?

Synonyms

uncoordinated
vsatactic
6 4.8

Not able to move with control so movements look clumsy

is a medical term focusing on neurologically caused lack of coordination
ataxic
vsatactic
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Having unsteady, uncontrolled movements because the muscles do not work together

is about uncoordinated movements especially tied to a specific neurological condition
apractic
vsatactic
  • Specialized
9.9

Uncoordinated muscle movements that make simple actions hard

is used for lack of coordination most often due to a neurological origin
apraxic
vsatactic
  • Specialized
9.9

Not able to make coordinated movements because of a problem in the brain

is about lacking coordination but usually describes movement inability rather than clumsiness

Antonyms

coordinated
3.8

Able to move different parts of the body smoothly and accurately

Compounds

atactic abasia
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition that stops a person from walking because their leg muscles do not work together

How Coordinated

nimble
20 4.4
atactic
  • Specialized
9.9
clumsy
73 1.2

Surface Forms

atactic positive

Morphology

atactic = tactic (opaque) = a + tactic

Although transparently formed from the privative prefix 'a-' plus a root cognate of 'tactic' (arrangement), the medical meaning 'lacking coordination' is not inferable from the everyday sense of 'tactic' (strategy).

Etymology

Atactic comes from the parts a- meaning 'not' and tactic meaning 'ordered' or 'arranged', the same root you see in the word tactic. So, atactic describes movements that have 'no order' and are uncoordinated.