of or relating to the division of the autonomic nervous system that acts in opposition to the sympathetic system by slowing the heartbeat, constricting the bronchi of the lungs, stimulating the smooth muscles of the digestive tract, etc
Compare sympathetic (sense 4)
parasympathetic in American English
(ˌpærəˌsɪmpəˈθɛtɪk)
adjective
Physiology
designating or of that part of the autonomic nervous system whose nerves originatein the midbrain, the hindbrain, and the sacral region of the spinal cord and whose functions include the constriction of the pupils of the eyes, the slowing of the heartbeat, and the stimulation of certain digestiveglands: these nerves oppose the sympathetic nerves in the regulation of many body processes
Word origin
para-1 + sympathetic
Examples of 'parasympathetic' in a sentence
parasympathetic
"An overdose of belladonna can mimic a complete shutdown of the parasympathetic nervous system.