Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
ambulation

ambulation

1 8.0
To walk or move around, often as part of medical care
  • noun
  • /ˌæm.bjʊˈleɪ.ʃən/
  • Specialized
: ambulación
  • During the walking trials, there was no statistical difference in the velocity of ambulation between the five feet tested.
  • ambulation index
  • hemiparetic ambulation
  • ambulation on stairs

Getting into a mode of forward ambulation and especially experiencing visual flow has a powerful effect on the nervous system.

Examples

  • Controlling the patient's pain is important to help with early ambulation and in preventing the above complications.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Therapists encourage regular ambulation to improve recovery and overall health.

  • Getting into a mode of forward ambulation and especially experiencing visual flow has a powerful effect on the nervous system.

    Andrew Huberman

  • Theoretically, this would reduce the high energy cost of ambulation associated with this population.

    Academic text (1995)

  • First, the ambulation of healthy persons and patients as one group was evaluated.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Therefore, postoperative ambulation is an important priority after joint replacement surgery.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Patients and their parents should be prepared in an anticipatory fashion for this possible change from ambulation to wheelchair mobility.

    Academic text (2004)

  • All clients had some form of ambulation and speech impairment based on observational data and information from staff.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Criteria for participation included independent community ambulation without the use of an assistive device and a history of compliance.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Postoperative priorities include early ambulation to prevent pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, joint stiffness, contractures, and constipation.

    Academic text (2004)

Synonyms

walk
vsambulation
815 1.0

An act of moving on foot for exercise, pleasure, or travel

is used mainly for medical or therapeutic movement
locomotion
vsambulation
  • Specialized
7 4.6

Movement from one place to another

is specifically about movement for medical or therapeutic care
perambulation
vsambulation
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A slow, relaxed walk in a public place like a park

is used for movement on foot as therapy not for casual public strolling
amble
vsambulation
1 4.5

A slow relaxed walk, often in a park or garden

is used for medical or therapeutic movement on foot rather than leisure

How Active

ambulation
  • Specialized
1 8.0
immobility
4 6.3

Surface Forms

ambulation singular
ambulations plural

Morphology

ambulation = ambulate (semi-transparent) = ambul + ion

Formed by standard nominalization of the verb 'ambulate' with -ion, but 'ambulate' and the combining form 'ambul-' are formal and not widely known to learners.

Etymology

The word ambulation comes from the Latin word ambulare, which means 'to walk'. You can see the same root in amble and ambulance, so ambulation means the act of walking, often used for a patient's walking after an operation.